What happened to Adam in I Am the Cheese?
John Thompson
Published Apr 08, 2026
What happened to Adam in I Am the Cheese?
Adam’s relationship with his parents, before the truth is out, is mostly stifled. After the revelation of his family’s past, Adam grows closer to them. By the end of I Am the Cheese, Adam finds out he is doubly orphaned: not only are his parents dead, but so is his own identity.
Why does Adam say I am the cheese?
By Robert Cormier The last line of the song is “The cheese stands alone.” So by saying “I am the cheese” (31.39), Adam is saying that he knows he is alone. The cheese is the only one who doesn’t (cheeses are inanimate objects, after all). In this sense, Adam really is the cheese: he lacks control over his own destiny.
What was Adam struggling with on page 40 I Am the Cheese?
His struggle with identity – marked by the fact that he doesn’t really even know who he is – seeps into the rest of his life and causes him to always feel a bit uneasy.
How does Adam describe Amy in I Am the Cheese?
Adam thinks about Amy—that she is mischievous, humorous, and talkative, but can also be serious and is a great reader. Adam remembers that they met at the library, and he fell in love with her immediately, especially when she respected his dreams of becoming a famous writer like Thomas Wolfe.
Who is Mr GREY in I Am the Cheese?
Mr. Grey, also known as Thompson and #2222, is a government worker who has been assigned to the Farmer family in the Witness Re-Establishment Program. We are first introduced to him as “[t]he gray man” (17.1).
Who is Amy in I Am the Cheese?
Amy Hertz. Adam’s girlfriend. Amy is everything Adam is not—courageous and garrulous, she is not afraid of authority or of embracing her identity. She befriends Adam and enlists him to pull a “Number,” a prank in the supermarket.
What is the number I Am the Cheese?
617-537-3331
617-537-3331. No, we’re not giving you your crush’s digits (sorry). That’s I Am the Cheese author Robert Cormier’s phone number.
Who is Amy Hertz?
Who is Amy Hertz I Am the Cheese?
Cynthia Nixon
I Am the Cheese (1983) – Cynthia Nixon as Amy Hertz – IMDb.
When does Adam discover his identity in I am the cheese?
Cormier uses the typical narrative arc of the adolescent protagonist—the teenager discover his identity by the end of the novel. Adam’s identity becomes clearer just before the end of the novel.
Who is the cheese in I am the cheese?
“I am the cheese.” Adam identifies with the cheese from the song “The Farmer in the Dell” because the cheese is alone. Although Adam is confronted with his past by the doctor’s questions, he is unable to make himself vulnerable by accepting this old identity. Instead he identifies with the lonely cheese, defiantly grounding himself as an outsider.
Who is Paul Delmonte in I am the cheese?
Adam’s identity is out there somewhere, but it is buried beneath two separate, horrific layers. Not only is he someone else—Paul Delmonte, before the government changed his name in a witness protection program—but he has trouble remembering this fact, as well as most of his experiences that occurred prior his institutionalization.
Who is grey in I am the cheese?
This program assigns the Delmonte family a new identity. Grey is a secretive figure who blends into the background, and he has uncertain intentions. Grey checks up on the family a few times each month, but Adam’s father believes it is to see if David is withholding any important information.
Who is Adam’s girlfriend in I am the cheese?
Read an in-depth analysis of David Farmer. Adam’s girlfriend. Amy is everything Adam is not—courageous and garrulous, she is not afraid of authority or of embracing her identity. She befriends Adam and enlists him to pull a “Number,” a prank in the supermarket.
How did dr.brint manipulate Adam in I am the cheese?
Dr. Brint obviously manipulates Adam during their session together. He accuses Adam of giving into his fear because he doesn’t really care to bring hs memory back, but Adam clearly wants nothing more. He suspects the doctor is using him to get information about his father, so he keeps some details to himself.
Why does Adam identify with the cheese in the farmer in the Dell?
Adam identifies with the cheese from the song “The Farmer in the Dell” because the cheese is alone. Although Adam is confronted with his past by the doctor’s questions, he is unable to make himself vulnerable by accepting this old identity. Instead he identifies with the lonely cheese, defiantly grounding himself as an outsider.
“I am the cheese.” Adam identifies with the cheese from the song “The Farmer in the Dell” because the cheese is alone. Although Adam is confronted with his past by the doctor’s questions, he is unable to make himself vulnerable by accepting this old identity. Instead he identifies with the lonely cheese, defiantly grounding himself as an outsider.