I Am The Cheese

547 Words2 Pages

I am the Cheese is a compelling and unconventional novel. The novel's major strengths include the uses of a powerful theme, an interesting title, and writing techniques. Robert Cormier manages to create a puzzling, disturbing atmosphere for the most part of the novel, which fits in well with the theme of the book. He effectively reveals the theme, which is a revelation about the lies in our depraved society, with the use of manipulation and complex writing techniques. In I am the Cheese, the main theme of the story deals with a weak, individual teenager facing the establishment, and confronting the evil and lies which exists in our society. It is a story about the fight of the individual against a system where the lines between friend and enemy are blurred. An illustration of this would be …show more content…

She was dead, irrevocably dead, the knowledge irrefutable as he lay on the pavement now...."(207 Cormier) To elaborate, the ending is a strong impact of the novel, as it leaves the reader confused. The truth which lies underneath is not expected and certainly not a usual ending in a novel. In addition, to create such an intense atmosphere in I am the Cheese, the author used a variety of writing techniques. An instance of this occurs in the denouement of the novel. The reader learns that the bike ride had just been a figment of Adam's imagination, interlaced with impressions from the real people around him. Suddenly, the most significant clues come together, and reveal the secrets that are hidden underneath. The story is full of blank spaces which provide hidden meanings that come together at the end. Uncertainties such as why Adam is unable to contact Amy, or what Adam is carrying to his father on his adventure, are all neatly resolved. The author's writing techniques, which include flashbacks, give way for alternative turns and endings to I am the

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