Child Called It

             In literature, we sometimes meet authors or characters that we respond to on a personal level. Their work reminds us of events that may have taken place in our lives or give us visions of the way we wish to live our lives. I was able to relate to Dave Pelzer's book, A Child Called It. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was severely abused emotionally and physically by his alcoholic mother, who played cruel games with Dave, which left him nearly dead.
             While growing up, my life didn't consist of such harsh mental and physical abuse, as did Dave's', some of the incidents that occurred in his life reminded me of the emotional duress I faced throughout my childhood. In Pelzer's book, Dave's character experienced every child's worse nightmare. His youth was cut short and he was forced to take on the role of an adult. His only means of survival were to learn the rules of his mother's vicious games, and to continue to dream. Like David, I was one of three children. When my parents got divorced, and my mother went back to school, I had to take care of my younger brother as well as help around the house. Though I wasn't robbed completely of my childhood, I held bigger responsibilities than most eight-year-olds.
             In A Child Called It, Dave had nothing or anyone to turn to for support. He was faced with a feeling of neglect by his father. His father knew of the abuse his child Dave was receiving from his unstable mother but felt paralyzed with fear and was unable to help his son. In the chapter entitled, "The Accident", Dave talks about how his mother stabbed him at the age of 11, during one of her drunken rages. After he gained consciousness, he went to his father for support and his response was, "Well...you ah...you better go back in there and do the dishes." While I was growing up, I was situated opposite from Dave Pelzer. My mother lived in fear, while my father inflicted...

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Child Called It. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:11, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/23636.html