Homework 46 - Research and Writing

In The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, one boy decides to defy the administration, and disturb the universe. Jerry Renault attends a private all boys Catholic school where everyone listens to the administration and to the secret society named the Vigils. Each year the school has a chocolate sale, where students are required to sell a certain amount box of chocolates in order to raise proceeds for the school. This year Jerry decides not to sell the chocolates, thus upsetting the principal and the Vigils. This story depicts how Jerry goes from being a hero to be shunned by his classmates.

My topic explores how private school and public school education differs, and how religion plays an aspect in private school education. The Chocolate War relates to my topic because it is set in a Catholic all boys private school, where everyone listens to the administration. They are very religious and pray every day. By reading this book I was able to understand how religion plays into the lives of students who attend private Catholic schools.

The Chocolate War shows the reader how one student who decides to defy the religious administration of his school goes from being viewed as a hero by his fellow students to being shunned by them because the Virgils and the principal tell them it is wrong to follow Jerry’s lead. Religion plays a big role in the education and lives of private school students, and this book shows just how much of an influence it has in their lives. The principal, or Father, decides what happens in a student’s life when they are attending the school, and the student has no say whatsoever in it. Religion provides a stricter curriculum, and teaches students that there is only one way to go about their lives, only one structure to stick to.