It's More Then Candy: Choclate War

        A coming of age story is always interesting, reading how the person starts off with less knowledge and progresses to knowing more throughout the story.  The book that exemplifies a coming of age is Chocolate War written by Robert Cormier.  Cormier starts the book off with a kid named Jerry Renault who’s trying out for the football team. As Jerry is trying out he realizes he’s the smallest boy trying out, meaning he has to work twice as hard as the other boys. From that moment on Jerry is known to be a determined kid who won’t take no for an answer. Then the story goes into Jerry going to school and trying to fit in with the kids at school and how things ran around the school. So, Cormier introduces two people, Obie and Archie who just can’t stand each other.  Obie and Archie start talking about a group called the vigils, which weren’t so generous. Now Obie and Archie start choosing a group of boys to be apart of the vigils and Jerry has been chosen. The battle of chocolates has begun, and now Jerry has to show that he isn’t the smallest of them all.

            From the beginning of the book up to the middle the story changes, not the story itself but instead the characters change. The kids go from competing in selling candy to be the best seller, to those kids getting older and using their money for a certain use. More characters begin being introduced to show different characteristics to make the competition more fun and challenging. By fun meaning, making the story a little bit sillier because the entire book is just based on selling chocolates. Later on Cormier makes the story a little bit rougher; he makes the boys get really competitive and shows who really wants to be the winner. So, as the book comes to and end Cormier makes Jerry go from the wimpy kid, to a determined, outspoken, and confident teen.

            “This is the age of do your thing” (Cormier 142).

            This quote is a very important quote because it connects to the whole view of a coming of age story; you have to go from a kid to growing up and handling your own business your way. Making your decision is one thing, but giving someone the privilege of making your decisions is another thing. As kids not everyone is that smart to know exactly what to do. However, as time goes by and you get older there should be a shift to the actions from then to now. When Howie tells Richy this, it’s as if Richy is just one of those kids that think just because everyone is doing something, that he should do it too. Instead Howie’s tries telling Richy that people act and think differently and it’s just life. Following people isn’t going to bring anyone anywhere in life. Sometimes leading can be a task, but if you make your own choice and satisfy your needs the life won’t be so complicating. 

           

A Girl With Pride: Chinese Cinderella

Chinese Cinderella is an autobiographical book written by Adeline Yen Mah who not only writes about her life but more about how she became successful. The book starts from when Mah is about five years old, then goes up to her early teens, most of the action takes place when she’s a young girl. Mah grew up with a big “family” however, this family was different, it was as if everyone was for themselves and tried to outshine one another rather then being one. Mah grew up around negativity. Ever since Mah’s mother passed away her brothers and sisters held a grudge towards her which was very hard to deal with. Even though she was always around negativity she still succeeded in life to show her family that she couldn’t be broke. Mah dealt with a “family” who didn’t even treat her like she belonged but more of an outcast.  

            The story starts to shift and brings the readers to a knowledge and better understanding of who Adeline Yen Mah really is. The book goes from family, to school, and her obstacles. In school Mah was an outstanding student, which may have been a problem. Since Mah was so smart, hardworking, and caring, she had no one supporting her in her success, instead she was criticized mainly by her family. Mah notices that family can be the ones that really hurt you more than anything. Mah’s family basically made Mah want to push herself more because no one else would so she did what she had to do.

            “Take that! Medal Winner! Teacher’s Pet! Who do you think you are? Showing off week after week?” (Mah 13).

The quote above was said by Mah’s big sister. When big sister says this it really catches my attention. It just shows that Madeline has haters, which is so despicable because it’s actually her big sister. Throughout the book Mah goes through her older siblings picking on her because of her intelligence, awards for doing well in school, and just being such a good girl. Big sister finds everything Mah does as an insult, but I just never understood why until I finished reading the book. It made more sense because big sister never did so well in school, and she just probably wished that Mah was like the rest of them. However, Mah was different. Mah wanted to become someone, and go somewhere in life besides staying home with the family. This quote is telling us that Mah didn’t even have to work as hard because she’s always moving on forward, and never falls back no matter who tries their hardest to bring others down when their already down.