Blog Post 9- I Am The Cheese Synthesis Page

Steven Sinchi      1/6/15

811      ELA

Synthesis Page- I Am The Cheese by Robert Cormier

Critical Thinking Question: If the character in your book has problems, can you see how those problems are about identity, struggling with others for power, or being cheated or helped by society’s needs?

Life seemed normal for Adam, but it was all except that. In the book I Am The Cheese by Robert Cormier, Adam faced several life-changing obstacles. It became difficult for him to grow up because he questioned what was happening to his parents. His father, who is a journalist, once wrote something political that exposed a side of the government. Officials then secretly tried to get rid of him, consequently forcing their family to change names, birthdates, and their entire life. This took a toll on Adam’s life, and he shared his story of how he wanted to reach Rutterburg and meet his father, his ultimate goal. Throughout the book, three ideas were relevant; how Adam was searching for identity, how he struggles with others for power, and how he was being helped and cheated by society’s rules.

Adam struggled to identify who he was and what he had to do in the entire situation. In one part of the book, it is revealed that Adam Farmer was not his true name, but a fake name that was created when his family had to cover up when they left their home. Paul Delmonte, Adam’s real birth name, was a stranger to Adam. In addition to this, the title itself I Am The Cheese is hinting at what he believes he is. In the end, it is revealed that “Farmer in the Dell” (the nursery rhyme) finishes with “The cheese stands alone.” This signifies that he knows that his whole life he has never really had anyone there for him, making him “alone.”  Also, he had to worry about which type of identity to show, because he was never sure if one of the people sent to exterminate their family is there. When Adam explained what he meant, he said that "...there are the Never Knows. Never knowing who can be trusted. Never knowing who that stranger in town can be." The challenges that Adam faced were due to identity, and made his life difficult.

In the end of the book, Adam arrives at the doctors office. This twisted the ending he always convinced himself he would get, his father. It is concluded that he arrived at the same doctors office where he said he always wanted to escape. In the doctors office, it is seen that the so-called “doctor” feeds Adam medicine and only asks for answers that target the situation related to the government. It is also stated that he will be riding a bicycle around the hospital until he believes he finds his father. The twist is that the entire journey from Monument to Rutterburg is false. He is only dreaming of it so that he can believe his father is alive, which he is not. The final words in the book state that “Subject A” (Adam) will eventually be “obliterated” if he doesn’t tell them what they want. This shows why he was being cheated by society’s rules in the ending.

Throughout the book, levels of power were clear. For example, Adam’s family did not have the power to change their lifestyle meanwhile the people looking for them did have enough power. Also, Adam was held back in many ways, like when he had bullies try to stop him from doing what he wanted to do. Moreover, Adam doesn't have control over his life in general because the secret people are taking away his privileges, like spending time normally with his family.This denied him from many things he could have done by himself, but he struggled with others for power.

In retrospect, Adam lived a life full of secrets, obstacles, and several heavy decisions. From struggling with defining his own name to dealing with a mental institute, Adam went through difficult times that showed being cheated by society’s rules, searching for identity, and struggling for the most power.