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How Does Dave Pelzer Characterize Substance Abuse

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In the book A Child Called “it”, by Dave Pelzer, Catherine, Dave’s mother starves Dave as punishment. After the incident with burning David on top of a stove, Catherine resorted to other forms of abusive punishments like hitting him and starving him. I predict that Catherine will continue to abuse Dave until someone in his school recognizes his injuries. Throughout the book, Catherine has done so many abusive things to Dave with the proof of scars,marks,bruises and etcetera. For example, The time when Catherine burned Dave 's skin on top of a hot stove, he was covered with burns and his“skin seemed to explode from the heat” (p.28). Catherine also physically abused him by beating him up till he bleeds or one incident where she forced him to …show more content…

Dave had many marks from the beatings he would get at home along with the burns from the stove incident. He also was caught stealing food during the school day so he wouldn’t starve to death, but since his principal found out and called his mother his punishments extended and he was starved and beaten up, “ By the end of the session, my nose bled twice and I was missing a tooth” (p.33). He was also sleep deprived, he said that one of his teachers “began by questioning me about my attentiveness. I lied, saying I had stayed up late watching television”(p.33). Appearance was not much of a matter to Catherine, so he send Dave with the same torn, smelly clothes every single day, but Dave knew exactly what to say when questioned “When asked, I had my readymade excuses Mother brainwashed into me.” (p.30). The evidence of abuse in Dave is going to make teachers aware of the abuse at home. Dave, who has been tremendously starved obviously will show sign of malnutrition and an angular body which will make teacher question if he is getting food from home and might call authorities. Also the marks, bruises and scars that are all over his body shows sign of abuse that the teachers will catch on too. And lastly, his state of mind , and his horrible appearance will open the eyes of teachers. Soon enough teachers will be questioning his home

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