In the following essay, Walker, a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas, analyzes how The Chocolate War can be interpreted within the context of Christian beliefs. He also notes that while the pessimism of the novel can be seen as a product of its times, its power to disturb readers makes it timeless.
Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War begins with a seemingly serious remark: "They murdered him." We quickly realize that this is the author's way of telling us, with humorous exaggeration, that a character, who we learn is named Jerry Renault, has just received a heavy hit during football practice. As the novel progresses, though, other details emerge, and our reading of this remark changes. We come to see in it a reference to Christ's "murder," and thus to see Jerry's rebellion against.....
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