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A Child Called "It"

by Dave Pelzer

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A Child Called "It"

In A Child Called "It," David Pelzer's brothers are Ron, Stan, Russell, and Kevin. These are not the actual names of his brothers, however, as Pelzer changes them in his autobiography.

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A Child Called "It"

In A Child Called "It", the mother is characterized as abusive and cruel, subjecting her son, David, to severe physical and emotional abuse. Her fate is not explicitly detailed in the book, but her...

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A Child Called "It"

A Child Called "It" ends with David finally escaping the abuse which he describes throughout the book. The Epilogue also provides closure; it reflects David's experiences as an adult and explains the...

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A Child Called "It"

In A Child Called "It", Dave's relationship with his mother is characterized by severe abuse and favoritism. His mother singles him out for extreme punishment and cruelty, while showing preferential...

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A Child Called "It"

A Child Called “It” has been banned from certain schools because of its graphic depiction of child abuse. Some teachers believe that the contents of the book are age-inappropriate and could even have...

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A Child Called "It"

A Child Called "It" is written as an autobiographical account of David Pelzer's childhood, so it should be a true story. There are some people, however, who doubt the veracity of the book.

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A Child Called "It"

Dave Pelzer is twelve years old when he is rescued from his mother's abuse in A Child Called It. He is somewhere around four or five years old when the abuse begins. In the epilogue, David is now an...

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A Child Called "It"

In A Child Called "It" Dave's father Stephen ignores him instead of trying to help him because he's a weak, selfish man who cares only about his own happiness. So he turns a blind eye to his wife's...

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A Child Called "It"

Dave Pelzer wrote A Child Called "It" to share his story of survival and raise awareness about child abuse. His father eventually left the family, while his mother continued to abuse him until he was...

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A Child Called "It"

In A Child Called "It", David's physical appearance is marked by severe abuse: bruises, slash-marks on his face, old knife scars on his chest, and broken teeth. His mother dislocated his arm, burned...

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A Child Called "It"

In A Child Called "It," Dave Pelzer survives because of observant school teachers and police officers who intervene to rescue him from the horrendous abuse he faced at his mother's hands.

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A Child Called "It"

In A Child Called "It", David suffers physical, emotional, and verbal abuse. His mother beats him, forces him to eat vomit, and pours ammonia down his throat. Emotionally, she isolates him from his...

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A Child Called "It"

Dave's mother's favorite weapon against him in A Child Called It is food. She frequently refuses to allow Dave to eat, which forces him to steal food from other sources in order to survive. His...

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A Child Called "It"

The story takes place primarily in Daly City, California, focusing on Dave Pelzer's childhood home and school. Key locations include the basement, where Pelzer endured many nights alone, and the...

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A Child Called "It"

Dave's mother starts treating him kindly after a long period of abuse because a social services investigation is imminent. She feigns affection to convince Dave to deny the abuse when questioned....

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A Child Called "It"

In A Child Called "It," Mr. Ziegler gives David a letter to take to his mother because he wants to tell her how her son won a competition for coming up with a catchy slogan for the school newspaper....

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A Child Called "It"

The title A Child Called "It" reflects the severe dehumanization and abuse Dave Pelzer experienced from his mother. She referred to him as "It" to strip him of his identity and humanity, treating him...

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A Child Called "It"

David Pelzer describes his mother as having an average appearance and size before the abuse, noting she once "glowed with love" for her children. Her physical appearance seemed linked to her mood;...

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A Child Called "It"

In A Child Called "It," Dave decides to buy himself time when he realizes that he has finally beaten his mother. Instead of complying with her acts of insanity, he understands that he just has to...

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A Child Called "It"

Around Halloween, Dave's treatment worsens significantly. His mother intensifies her abuse, forcing him to vomit to inspect his food intake, denying him meals with the family, and making him sit...

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A Child Called "It"

David and his mother have a one-sided emotional relationship in "A Child Called It" by Dave Pelzer. David's mother is mentally ill, though his life does not start out this way. At first, his mom is...

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A Child Called "It"

Dave is the protagonist of A Child Called "It", depicting his experience as a severely abused child. His mother subjects him to extreme physical and emotional abuse, isolating him from the family and...

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A Child Called "It"

A Child Called "It" can be examined through a psychological perspective in numerous ways. Catherine Roerva proves capable of manipulating her son's emotions to produce the outcomes which benefit her....

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A Child Called "It"

A thesis statement for "A Child Called 'IT'" could be: David Pelzer's survival tactics in an abusive home involved stealing food to avoid starvation, concealing the truth to prevent further abuse,...

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A Child Called "It"

Personal reactions to A Child Called It will likely be multidimensional. The story evokes both horror at the details of maternal child abuse and awe of the strength of the human spirit to overcome...

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A Child Called "It"

Mr. Ziegler contributes greatly to Dave's feelings of self-worth. He treats Dave with kindness, consideration, and respect. He puts Dave on a committee charged with coming up with a name for the...

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A Child Called "It"

In A Child Called "It," Dave's mother's reaction when she finds out he has been stealing lunches at school is to beat him and continue to deny him food. However, it was her fault that he was stealing...

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A Child Called "It"

Factors that protect Dave are his own determination to beat his mother at her cruel game, his ability to plan, his imagination, and school. Some of his teachers, the school nurse, the principal, and...

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A Child Called "It"

The writer's purpose in "A Child Called It" is to highlight the severity and impact of child abuse and to raise awareness about the issue. The message is one of resilience and survival, showing that...

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A Child Called "It"

The main character in A Child Called "It" is a young boy named David Pelzer. He suffers from the abuse at the hands of his mentally unstable mother, who attempts to make her son's life as miserable...

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A Child Called "It"

David's father abandoned Dave in chapter 7, leaving young David completely alone to face the horrors of his mother's child abuse.

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