Coming of Age in The Chocolate War and Boy's LifeCory in Boy's Life and Jerry in The Chocolate War are examples of characters in a bildungsromanMany high school students read the coming from historical novels, or bildungsromans such as: Kidnapped, The Outsiders, To Kill a Mocking Bird, and many others. What these students, however, do not realize when reading these novels is that the protagonist of the story grows and changes throughout the novel in many ways. Many of these changes are the result of conflicts that most adolescents face throughout their lives. In Boys Life, by Robert McCammon, and TheChocolate War, by Robert Cormier, the male protagonist faces many conflicts that most teenagers can relate to in everyday life. These two books are examples of bildungsromans because Cory and Jerry change throughout the novel due to their mental tests and physical abuse. The male protagonists, Cory and Jerry, undergo many mental tests that affect the boy's outlook on life. The most obvious test that shows this is dealing with the death of a loved one. In Boy's Life, Cory shows this best by completely changing his outlook on life and especially faith, upon the death of his best friend Davy Ray. A good example is when Cory says, “I was no longer sure of anything: neither life, nor the afterlife, nor God, nor goodness. (p454).Cory begins to understand that he must have faith. In The Chocolate War, when Jerry's mother dies, he begins to look at life in a new way, wondering if he is wasting his life. He wonders if he is part of something special or if he is “sleepwalking” through his life (p. 20). Later, he often thinks about it when he thinks about disrupting the universe. He also shares very little intimacy with his father after his mother's death and views him in a different way. When Jerry looks at his father one evening, he wonders if his father is wasting his life with ordinary daily routines and if he is turning out to be like his father (p. 52). The deaths involved in these two books challenge Cory and Jerry's beliefs and help them grow into young adults. Because of the boy's determination, they are challenged in many ways. This is best illustrated in The Chocolate War with Jerry's decision not to do so. sell chocolates.