The Chocolate War: Mr. Byrne


Navigating Index

Web Resource Links
Study Guide Questions

Links

Literary Essays and Reports About The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War: Discussions and Analysis

This site is set up much like a study guide for the novel. It focuses on the characters, the Vigils and the author. There is an annoying announcement screen for Tripod, the group that sponsors the site, but just click to close the window and it will disappear.

The Chocolate War: Lesson

This site provides an interdisciplinary unit called "Do I dare disturb the universe. It is created by Doug Cronk, an English teacher at White Plaines High School in White Plaines, New York. It allows students to relate the characters of The Chocolate War to many other real life historical figures and events.

Background and Enrichment Information About The Chocolate War

Commercial Study Guide

This site is sponsored by McDougal-Littell Publishing Company. It offers a number of resourses and suggestions for both understanding and teaching The Chocolate War.

Cormier Background and Novel Analysis

This site is sponsored by Random House, a commercial publishing company. It is a nice study guide that contains an overview of the story, study questions, and a link to a biographical background of Robert Cormier.

The Psychological Changes of Adolescence

Here is an essay about adolescent issues developed in The Chocolate War as well as in several other young adult novels. Learn more about the impact of The Chocolate War as well as get information about other young adult novels you might be interested in reading. There are references to the work of Lawrence Kohlberg as well as Carol Gilligan who offers a more feminine analysis.

Duel at High Noon: A Replay of Cormier's Works

This is a literary essay that analyzes the works of Robert Cormier in terms of their themes and impacts on young adult literarture. The Chocolate War is mentioned as well as a number of his other works in relation to what he tries to say to young adults in his literature.

The Treatment of Religion

This site discusses the treatment of religion in young adult novels. It mentions a number of works by several authors including Madeline L'Engle and Cynthia Voigt as well as The Chocolate War and Robert Cormier. The theme of the spiritual corruption at Trinity High is discussed

Teaching Tomorrow's Classics

This site discusses the concept of what a classic novel is. It gives examples of traditional classics and provides a framework for anticipating what young adult novels might become classics as time goes by. The Chocolate War is given a prominent analysis in the last third of the essay.

The Chocolate War as Aristotilian Tragedy

This is an essay by a college professor that discusses the concept of tragedy in literature and uses The Chocolate War as a prime example.

Biographical and General Information About Robert Cormier

Robert Cormier Information

This site provides three areas of information about Robert Cormier: a list of his books, other realted infromation to his writings, and some additional web links. The page is part of a larger site where you can investigate some other authors like Madeline L'Engle, Walter Dean Myers, and Anne McCaffrey.

Robert Cormier Interview

Here is an interview with Robert Cormier offered by The Internet Public Library. It provides some general background about Cormier and then moves into a question and answer dialogue.

A Second Robert Cormier Interview

Here's an interview with Robert Cormier for an online teen ezine. He talks about his craft, how he became a writer, his favorite characters, his family, and his reading habits.

The Chocolate War Questions

Chapters 1-8
Chapters 9-19
Chapters 20-28
Chapters 29-39

The Chocolate War Questions Chapters 1-8

Chapter 1


1. Where does the chapter occur?
2. When does the chapter occur?
3. List the names of the characters in the chapter.
4. What is the main character doing in the chapter?
5. How does the chapter end and why does it end that way?
6. Have you ever had to try-out for a team or organization? How did you feel? What did you do? If no, how does the main character feel? What does he do?

Chapter 2


7. Who is Chapter 2 about?
8. What other character is in the chapter? What is his role, his job?
9. Describe the main character of Chapter 2. Be precise and complete.
10. What is the main character doing in this chapter?

Chapter 3


11. Who is Chapter 3 about?
12. What is the most important episode in the chapter?

Chapter 4


13. Where does Chapter 4 take place?
14. Why are the boxes of chocolate there?
15. What is Brother Leon's goal?
16. How does Brother Leon expect to achieve his goal&emdash;what is his plan?
17. How does Archie feel about Brother Leon?
18. What does Archie realize or discover about Bro. Leon?
19. What request does Bro. Leon make to Archie?

Chapter 5


20. What does Chapter 5 describe?
21. Who are the important characters in Chapter 5?
22. What assignment is giver?
23. What unexpected requirement must Archie meet at the end of the chapter. Discuss it completely.

Chapter 6


24. Where does the chapter take place and who is important?
25. What is Brother Leon doing in this chapter?
26. What unexpected turn of events happens at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 7


27. What is Emile doing in Chapter 7?
28. What does Archie think about Emile?

Chapter 8


29. What is Goober doing in Chapter 8?
30. Goober is visited by a masked stranger. Who do you think it is? Why do you think so?


The Chocolate War Questions Chapters 9-19

Chapter 9


1. When does Jerry's mother die?
2. What kind of feelings did Jerry express about his mother's death? Be precise and complete.
3. When was the last time Jerry could remember being close (emotionally) with his father?
4. In what area of the country does Jerry live?
5. What did Jerry's father do for a living? What was his job like? Be precise.
6. What is bothering Jerry about his father's job? What is bothering him about his father's life?
7. What does Jerry want at the end of Chapter 8?

Chapter 10


8. What is going on in Chapter 10?
9. Which character does Chapter 10 feature?
10. What conclusions does that character come to?

Chapter 11


11. What episode does Chapter 11 describe?
12. Describe Archie's feelings in this chapter.
13. What is Brother Leon's attitude in this chapter?
14. Who is Brother Eugene? What is his reaction?

Chapter 12


15. What important realization does Jerry come to concerning the coach and football at the end of Chapter 12?
16. What episode caused this realization?

Chapter 13


17. How does Goober feel at the beginning of Chapter 13? Why?
18. How did other students react to Goober's assignment?
19. What did Brother Leon expect to happen on this day as he called the role for chocolate sales?
20. What continues to worry Goober?
21. What surprising event occurs toward the end of the chapter? Be precise.

Chapter 14


22. What continues to occur between Brother Leon and Jerry during Chapter 14? Be complete.
23. What is Tubs Casper's goal? How does he intend to achieve it?
24. Who is Brian Cochran? What does he discover about Brother Leon and the chocolates?

Chapter 15


25. What is Archie doing with Emile Janza? Be complete.
26. What hint at the end of the chapter tells you how Archie feels about Emile?

Chapter 16


27. What has Brother Leon done to David Caroni?
28. Why is Brother Leon doing this to Caroni?
29. What does Brother Leon discover about Jerry?
30. How does Caroni feel about the way he has been treated?
31. What was Caroni thinking of doing as a career? Does this
change? Why?

Chapter 17


32. What does Brother Leon expect to happen in Chapter 17?
33. What surprising thing does happen?

Chapter 18


34. Jerry is very troubled in Chapter 18. Why is he so troubled? What is bothering him?
35. Jerry remembers the hippie in the Commons saying, "You're missing a lot of things in the world." How does this thought relate to what is going on in Jerry's mind?

Chapter 19


36. How do the students react to Jerry's decision about the chocolate? How do you know? Cite proof.
37. How does Goober react to all this?
38. How does the captain on Jerry's poster relate to what is going on?
39. What new information does Brother Leon's roll call for chocolate sales reveal this day? What do you think is happening?

The Chocolate War Questions Chapters 20-28

Chapter 20


1. There is another prank described in Chapter 20. Describe it completely.
2. What unexpected twist is involved with the prank?
3. What are Obie's feelings about the whole situation?

Chapter 21


4. Chapter 21 describes several conversations between students at Trinity. What is the subject of their conversations?
5. What conclusions or decisions do the students make as a result of their conversations.
6. Obie has Archie meet him in the gym. What are Archie's feelings about the gym?
7. What does Obie tell Archie in their meeting in the gym? What is he trying to get Archie to do?
8. What kind of feelings does Obie really have for Archie? How are these expressed in the Chapter?
9. What does Archie decided to do in reaction to Obie's presentation?

Chapter 22


10. What information does Brian Cochran have to give Brother Leon about the chocolate sales?
11. How does Brother Leon first react?
12. What conclusion does Brother Leon express at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 23


13. What surprising news does Goober give Jerry at the beginning of the chapter? Why has Goober made this decision?
14. Jerry tells Goober that "its all a game". How does Goober respond to this?
15. What does Goober keep telling Jerry to do?

Chapter 24


16. Brother Leon calls Archie because of the poor chocolate sales. He tells Archie that he (Archie) is in trouble. Archie thinks to himself that it is not he, but Brother Leon who is in trouble. What information from Brian Cochran does Archie have that tells him Brother Leon is in trouble? Be precise and complete.
17. Brother Leon becomes more threatening and at the end of the chapter tells Archie he wants something done. What is it?
18. How has Brother Leon expressed this request to Archie?

Chapter 25


19. Jerry is summoned before the Vigils. What does Archie want him to do?
20. How does Jerry respond to Archie and the Vigils' request?
21. What is Obie thinking while all this is going on?
22. What is Carter thinking while all this is going on?

Chapter 26


23. What two examples of Jerry being a risk taker are demonstrated in this chapter? Be exact.

Chapter 27


24. What effect does Archie have on Frankie Rollo?
25. What effect does Carter have on Frankie Rollo?
26. The Vigils essentially have two problems, what are they?
27. Describe completely the disagreement between Archie and Carter. What are their different points of view concerning how the Vigils should continue?
28. The chapter states that Archie is humiliated by Carter. How does he do this?
29. What plan does Archie develop to show Carter and the Vigils that he has the right way to continue?

Chapter 28


30. List three things that have begun to happen to Jerry in this chapter.
31. Why do you think these things are happening?
32. Describe how Jerry now understands the poster in his locker that asks the question: Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?

The Chocolate War Questions Chapters 29-39

Chapter 29


1. What surprising change has Brian Cochran discovered?
2. What does Brian realize Carter and the Vigils are doing?

Chapter 30


3. What kind of mood is Brother Leon in at the start of the chapter?
4. What do we learn Goober has done in terms of the chocolate sale?
5. How did Hartnett sell all his chocolates?
6. What does Harold Darcy do? What change does this represent in terms of the way students look at Jerry?
7. What does Goober find out at the end of the chapter? How does he react? Why does he react this way?

Chapter 31


8. Who confronts Jerry at the beginning of chapter 31>
9. At football practice, what had his team done?
10. How does the person who confronts Jerry try to provoke Jerry? What does he say? How does Jerry react?
11. What happens to Jerry at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 32


12. Describe completely what happens to Jerry when he gets home.
13. What does Jerry's father decide to do about the phone calls?

Chapter 33


14. What is Archie's attitude toward Emile at the start of Chapter 33?
15. Who was it that beat-up Jerry?
16. What does Archie tell Emile toward the end of the chapter?
17. What does Emile think about Archie?

Chapter 34


18. How is Jerry being treated at the start of the Chapter? How does he feel?
19. What news does Brian Cochran give Brother Leon?
20. What strange statistic does Brian share with Brother Leon?
21. What does Brother Leon tell Brian in terms of what's important about the sale?
22. What is Archie's new plan at the end of the chapter? Be precise.

Chapter 35


23. What two calls did Archie make to set-up the rally?
24. How does Archie goad Jerry into coming to the rally?
25. What is it that Archie has arranged between Jerry and Emile?
26. On page 170, what does Archie believe?
27. What is Jerry thinking on pages 171 and 172?
28. What did Archie tell Emile to get him mad a Jerry?
29. What is Emile still doubting?

Chapter 36


30. What are the raffle tickets going to be used for?
31. What does Archie tell Carter about "people"?
32. How has Archie explained how greed and cruelty would be used in the events of the rally?
33. Why is Carter troubled and perplexed?
34. What surprise does Obie bring to Archie?
35. How does Obie explain his surprise to Carter?
36. How does the Chapter end? Be precise.

Chapter 37


37. What has Goober been doing all this time?
38. How would a student win the raffle?
39. Who gets the first punch? What happens?
40. What mistake did Carter make? What happened as a result?
41. Jerry spots Archie in the crowd. What goes through his mind?
42. How does the fight end? Who gets knocked-out?
43. Who does Obie see? What does he think?
44. Who does Archie find at the utility building? What happens?

Chapter 38


45. As Jerry awakens, what is it he wants to tell Goober?
46. Brother Jacques confronts Archie. How does Archie react?
47. Brother Leon shows up. What does he have to say to Archie. What is Archie thinking?

Chapter 39


48. How does the story end? Be precise and complete.

Return to Mr. Byrne's Homepage