A Child Called It Reflection
When I was presented the assignment to read the award winning novel “A Child called it” by David Pelzer I had mixed feelings. I remember last semester a couple of my friends were reading the novel for their school, family, and community class. They told me about the book they had to read and how it was disturbing and some parts were unbearable to read. They revealed it was about a boy who is abused in the worst ways, and nobody does anything about it.
Once receiving the book as well as the assignment I began reading it so I could have my own interpretation about the book. While reading through the novel I felt as it I was right next to David in all the situations he goes through. I felt as if I hated his manipulating mother, spineless father, and emotionless brothers just as much as David did. “A Child Called It” was extremely helpful in understanding more of what a student may be going through outside of the school environment, that may lead to negative behavior and discipline in the classroom.
For example when David’s teacher first observed David stealing food from other students lunch boxes, she believed this was because of rebellion and negative behavior. What she didn’t know was that his mother had been denying him food for such long periods of time that his only hope for survival is to steal food from other students. This makes me think as a future educator to think twice before judging a student inside of the classroom. In some cases students just don’t act out to be funny or rebel, but to send out a message that they are in need of assistance inside their home.
I believe that it’s very important to analyze how manipulating David’s mother was towards everyone around her. David’s mother is excellent at making people see David as a “bad boy” so that they agree with her actions of not letting him play outside or having him sit in the corner as a punishment. Its unreal to me that that David’s brothers who are his own blood can walk into the bathroom and see him lying in a bathtub of ice cold water and not have a care in the world about him.
Most importantly his father is an important symbol in the novel. Its obvious that towards the beginning of David’s neglection that he disagreed with the way his wife was treating David. For example, when David’s mom was in the hospital giving birth to his brother his father let him interact with her brothers and have dinner. He helped David put away the dishes after he was stabbed by this mother and forced to wash the dishes while in horrific pain. His father would also attempt to save him food and sneak it to the garage.
David’s mother became aware of these actions and began fighting and arguing with her husband constantly that he began to rarely come home When he did arrive home he was intoxicated and unable to have any contact with David. David’s father was also getting abused but in a different way, towards the middle of the novel he didn’t want to start an argument with his wife so he would just stay away from David and no longer give him food. David’s mother repeatedly told David and his brothers that David was no longer part of the family.
David’s mother was very loving to her other children, but from a young age her actions of abusing David were seen by her other children, In the novel David talks about how his little brother would make up stories and tell their mother so they can watch David get beaten. David’s brothers also physically abused him, by kicking and hitting him. I found it interesting that at the time of this novel the people around David other then his family were not suspicious about the Pelzer family. For example on Christmas David was only allowed to receive one gift because he is no longer part of the family.
He received a pair of roller skates, even as a young boy he knew this gift would be used as a punishment. During the wintertime his mother forced him to skate around the neighborhood for hours, he would be wearing the same dirty thin clothes he always wore. He writes about passing his neighbors and people in cars, but they didn’t even think twice about this action. David tells us that he was starved for a ten-day period and had no choice but to go door to door and ask for food. The people he asked either said no or handed him a sandwich not even wondering why he was knocking on their door for food and not going home.
If this were to happen in today’s society people would be suspicious and ask the boy questions. The teachers in the school would wonder why he came to school with the same clothes, missing teeth, broken bones, and starving. David presented the topic that was rarely discussed in his time. He presented the ugly side of amoral society; the one in which nobody cares about the problems of others. Its incredible to see the change in the way America handles child abuse but its also heart wrenching to think of the children who were neglected and abused during the times America was not as active.
I found it baffling that after being stabbed, burnt, forced to eat his brothers feces, choked, and forced to breath a mixture of ammonia and bleach that David was still true to his mother. He always completed him chores making sure nothing was under perfection; he walked on eggshells around the house, and never told the truth about his abuse. It’s obvious that the reasoning of this is because if he disobeyed his mother he would receive a worsened punishment. When he scrimmaged through the garbage can and ate the remains of his family’s dinner his mother forced him to vomit and found the food he had consumed.
He then received a punishment of sitting in the bathroom for hours with a bucket of ammonia and bleach till he almost passed out. Its devastating to know that this young boy felt so alone that he couldn’t tell his friends, neighbors, or teachers outside of his home. I hope that as a teacher if a student in my classroom is being abused they will be open and express their emotions to others or me in my school so that we can help them. The title of the book is truly reflective as the survival of the boy required real courage.
The fact that his mother refereed to him by “It” symbolizes that she was blinded by sadism without realizing or comprehending her actions because of her alcohol addiction. Dave Pelzer’s book “A Child Called it” was not at all a difficult book to read, but the knowledge was quite disturbing and emotional, especially knowing that this actually took place in the United States. I would suggest to anyone that’s planning on pursuing a career in education or as a social worker to read this book. This will help develop a better understanding for students and their needs.
