Literature Analysis #3

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

1. My book is about a mans rough childhood and the different types of abuse he undergoes. David is beaten, stabbed, burned, told to drink different chemicals and neglected. All of this is done to him by the woman who should be saving and protecting him, his mother. His mom makes him sleep in a small closet and if he needs to use the bathroom he is forced to pee himself, then he is sent to school in the same clothes everyday. He thinks he deserves it, he doesn't understand why his mom hates him so much and he is always trying to gain her affection. 
2. I believe Dave Pelzer wrote this book as a form of therapy and a way to let others know it's better to share with someone else if something bad is happening to you or a friend. Don't hide dangerous things from others, reach out for help and make your life a safe place to live. 
3. I chose this book based off of what I had heard about it. I have friends who had read it in middle school and they all loved it, so I decided to give it a try and see what everyone was talking about. The story was so intriguing and as soon as you read the first chapter you had to know what happened to this little kid. You have to know if he makes it out okay. 
4. I did find this book very realistic, it was also sort of a wake up call for me. After reading this book I started to pay more attention to the students around me. Dave pointed out things that made him different and I looked for those characteristics in other students I see everyday to see if I could find any that might be putting up with abuse. Because I started doing this not only in class, but around everyone, I noticed it was happening to my cousin. 

People

1. I think that if I met David's mom in person I wouldn't see her as someone who would abuse her child. It's hard for me to see any mother abusing her child. I think the rest of the characters would be seen the same exact way as he portrays them to be. His tone throughout the entire book is confused, scared and hopeful. He's confused as to why his mom doesn't love him anymore, he's scared because he never knows what cruel punishment to expect and he's hopeful because he's always talking about the day his mom will realize how mean she is and he will prove to her that he's amazing. 
2. David is a very fragile, young boy who wears glasses and rarely eats. He's always wearing the same clothes and he doesn't complain. He is an example of indirect characterization. We know what David is thinking and how he responds to other characters. His mom and class mates are direct characterization. They have direct statements being made by them. His mom beats and stabs him, and his classmates pick on him. If I were writing this book as a fictional story, I would have made the mom seem even more ugly and wicked looking then what he described her as. However, all the other characters seem to have the perfect description and I wouldn't write them any other way.
3. David's story is worth telling because he has such a brutal story to tell. He went through such a huge hardship and suffered through the most abusive relationship with his mother. His mom is worth writing about because she is the reason the story exists, and the people who pick on him create an even larger emotional appeal to the entire story. 
4. One example of direct characterization is when David's classmates pick on him for smelling and looking bad. The author states that they were bullies. Another example of direct characterization is when the teacher makes an effort to help David, the author clearly states that she is someone who David will trust and seek help from. 
5. I didn't notice any change in syntax when the author would discuss a different character. However the diction would change when talking about his mother. His tone would shift and he became more forward and used descriptive language to express the cruel actions she performed on him.
6. The protagonist is David and he is very dynamic. You almost get to experience the abuse with him. He is a very structured character and has a lot of understandable feelings.
7. I did feel as though I had met Dave. I have never experienced anything similar to him, in regards of being abused. But like Dave, I have felt alone, betrayed, scared for my life, and hopeful. David talks about not having any friends to talk to, no one wanted to be near him. I went through a similar situation in elementary school. 

 

Style

1.  The author used more of a journalistic form of writing. He took you day by day or week by week and month by month. I never picked up on any foreshadowing.
2. The Author does use lengthy descriptions for the more complex characters and some scenes. The author focuses more on the action rather than on dialogue. I think he does this because the events that he is describing happened such a long time ago, it's probably harder to write in dialogue when you can't remember the entire conversation.
3. I think the authors attitude towards this subject is probably very sensitive. He had to relive his  horrible past and talk about his traumatic experiences. 
4. The author doesn't offer any resources.