Review Of One Child's Courage To Survive By David Pelzer

The inspiring autobiography, A Child Called “It:” One Child’s Courage to Survive by David Pelzer, exposes the hideous child abuse Pelzer suffered by the hands of his own mother. From ages 4 to 12, Pelzer’s mother excluded him from his own family-- through horrific abuses such as starvation, beatings, poisoning, a stabbing, and more “routine” abuses, including timed chores. These chores were actually meant to determine if he “earned” any food, and of course to satisfy his sick mother. Eventually, his mother stopped calling him by his name, referring to him first as “The Boy” and finally as “It,” hence where the title came from. This is a true story that depicts what has been termed as one of the worst cases of child abuse ever discovered in

Dave’s mother had a load of anger and rage, which was eventually expressed towards Dave every single day. As for his father, who knew what was going on, he neglected Dave and his family the more and more he spent away from home to drink at bars. The more his father neglected them, the more Dave’s mother grew erratic and unstable. Rather than rescuing Dave, or his other children, Dave’s father eventually abandons the family all together. He became powerless to confront his cruel, mentally ill wife. Dave struggled and fought for his life each and every day, that is, until he was rescued by a caring and observant teacher, who freed him from his mother’s abusive home. Dave no longer had to worry if whether or not he’d die from brutality lead by his

Although this is not the worst of all of his mother’s routines, it bothered me deeply because of what he must have felt emotionally. Dave not only mentions that the water was freezing, and that he had to stay in it for hours with his “head above the water,” but his brother’s friends would walk in and basically bash on him. It really stuck out to me because I imagine Dave being so envious of the privileged boys, and feeling so frustrated not understanding why they are-- and why he is not. He was not even allowed to speak to them, therefore he is hearing these boys assume and accuse him of “being bad” without being able to shut them up. I sure know if that were me, I would have exploded. In addition, how humiliating it must be, to have other children not only tease, but to watch you naked. Shouldn’t boys be “claiming” their masculinity at this age? Shouldn’t they be discovering what society expects of them (being tough and brave, having big muscles, having a six pack, etc.)? It is an experience that would completely embarrass someone, and make them feel incredibly