Rebellion. Its one of the choices we must make to fight for what we think is right. Its also what we must do to grow up. Rebellion requires power, but most importantly, rebellion requires loyalty. Once you begin a rebellion, you can't go back and must keep fighting. This is just one subject that comes up in the Coming of Age book I'm reading, which is called "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier. This book is about a freshman in high school, Jerry Renault, who has to face, not only the the hardships of Trinity high school, but a hidden society called The Vigils. The Vigils become mixed in various emotions such as confusion and frustration after Jerry refuses to sell chocolates for a fundraiser and decide that war is the option. Jerry doesn't only face Trinity High School, but the universe.
Jerry, in the beginning, seemed to be more of a person in the inside than on the outside. His feelings about things and his wants just stayed in his mind. Like in the beginning of the book, when he is trying out to be a quarterback, after getting battered by the team with crushing tackles, the coach goes over to Jerry and when he is talking to him, spit hits him. In his head, he rebels against the coach, but outside, he just accepts the spray of spit. Jerry only accepted conflicts and didn't speak up.
There are always internal and external conflicts in characters that causes them to advance or get set back in life. Jerry faces the conflict at which on the inside, conflicts are mashed together and there seems to be something holding him back from expressing them on the outside. One example would be of his mother's death. On the inside, even just remembering her hit him, but on the outside, you couldn't even tell if he was sad. Both him and his father seem so quiet on the subject. When thinking of his father, Jerry on the inside has huge hopes of not turning out like how his father did, yet he doesn't show this towards his dad or even anyone.
The person that is an active part of Jerry's life is actually the universe. Everyone around him seems to be against him whether its Brother Leon rampaging him with the whole rebellion of selling chocolates or its his father just not being so involved in Jerry's life. As the universe pushes him backward, something inside him seems to force him to progress in life.He adjust himself to the conflict at which he faces so that he can overcome it. Jerry is more of an independent kind of kid who can be tough when needed. Rebellion is one thing that is created in Jerry's system according to the conflicts that are inflicted amongst him by the universe.
One Quote from the book is "Do I dare disturd the universe?" Jerry had seen this on a poster in his locker. The autor made sure that Jerry saw this because the only reason why someone would look at something deeper would be that they can connect to it. Jerry connects to this quote because he is questioning if rebellion is the right thing to do. He feels as if him rebelling would somehow affect the people around him instead of just himself being affected.
Coming of Age books are all about how childhood can only be overcomed with some type of experiance, moment, or decision. This book expresses just that. Jerry's decision of finally rebelling what he thought on the inside to the outside world showed how he is becoming more of an adult and that he can be independent, not having to count on others for support. Its the actions that usually make the person and in this book and other Coming of Age books, the characters perform actions that shows that they are maturing.
