Consequences of Conformity in The Chocolate War

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Consequences of Conformity in The Chocolate War

Throughout Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War, the theme of the consequences of conformity, or nonconformity, is expressed. Although The Chocolate War was first published in 1974, this theme still pertains to the youth of today. This novel is timeless because teenagers will always face the choice of whether to be true to themselves, or to conform to what other’s expect of them. In response to this theme, David Peck states, “what this idea becomes is the concept of being true to oneself and standing up to the evil that one perceives in the world” (Peck 2).

Furthermore, this idea is conveyed when Jerry refuses to participate in his school’s chocolate sale. At first he refuses to participate in the fundraiser because of an “assignment” gi...

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