A Child Called It

I read "A Child Called It." It was about the problems of a boy named Dave Pelzer. Dave was put through hard

times and at some point lost hope in his dreams and doubted the humanity of mankind, but in the end

because of his strong will he was able to overcome his problems and make a better life for himself.

When Dave was younger him and his brothers, Ronald and Stan were happy in a normal family with a loving

mom and dad, but as years passed things started to change. Dave's parents became alcoholics. His dad

never came home and his mom wasn't as nice, and she couldn't live without alcohol. She became miserable

to live with. Even though she became really mean to all the kids, she bothered Dave the most. At first

she would pit his brothers against him or make him do many chores, but soon her meanness turned to hatred

towards Dave.

To her Dave was now just a slave and an "it" she referred to him as "the boy". Although sometimes

Dave's father would try to help him or defend him, he would always give in to Dave's mother.

Dave had to learn how to play games with his mother just to stay alive in his own house. Besides telling her child that she hated him and wished him dead Dave's mom put him through way too

much physical pain and abuse. From a young child till the fifth grade Dave Pelzer had been made to sleep

away from the family in the basement in a small cot. He was starved for days and days on end. His mother

longed for any time to severely beat him, it made her day, she would think of horrible things all day to do

to him when he got home from school. Among many other things, Dave Pelzer was: stabbed, made to drink

ammonia, bleach, and dishwashing soap, he was also made to sit in a bathroom for hours with many

chemicals making a gas chamber,