The novel The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is a story about a boy named Jerry Renault who refuses to sell chocolates for a fundraiser in his school. It started out as a Vigils assignment, a powerful group in the school, but then Jerry decided he wanted to disturb the universe. He begins to do all the things he normally wouldn't. In the end he just gets in trouble for it. Jerry learns that being yourself isn't always what people want you to be and this is why the novel is a coming of age story. The Chocolate War contains all the components of a coming of age novel. Jerry has grown and developed throughout the story in the context of a defined social order. Jerry has gone through a form of loss, which spurs him on his journey. The process of Jerry's lesson is long and gradual. The story ends with the assessment of Jerry himself, and his place in society. The Chocolate War belongs to the coming of age genre because Jerry Renault learns an important lesson of self-development.
The Chocolate War is the story of Jerry's growth and development within himself. It is a search of meaningful existence within society. After all that Jerry has done, not to become like his father living a routine life, he still has to pay a high price. He gets brutally beaten for wanting to be different. "They tell you to do your own thing but they don't mean it. They don't want you to do your own thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too." (pg.259) He doesn't know who to be, himself, or like every other evil kid in the school. Jerry regrets disturbing the universe. He realizes things should be the way they are. There's no point in changing them. It could be for the worst.
To lead Jerry on his journey, he experiences the loss of his mother. With his mother being gone, Jerry sees the contrasts between her and his father. His mother used to be so lively and cheerful while his father is lifeless and so routine. "Was life that dull, that boring and humdrum for people?" (pg.
