Saturday, October 12, 2019
Child Abuse and the Importance of Belonging Discussed in David Pelzers
A Child Called "It" explores the traumatic story of child abuse and how the choices made by one person affects anotherââ¬â¢s sense of belonging. The story is only from one point of view as itââ¬â¢s a biography, written by the man who experienced trauma at such a tender age. David Pelzer, as a child, dealt with rejection daily and not only from his mother but classmates, teachers and ultimately his biggest enemy, himself. A Child Called "It", as the title denotes depreciation and an impersonal relationship between the audience and the text, begins the biography with a dark and solemn theme as there is no definition for ââ¬Ëitââ¬â¢ therefore titling a book ââ¬Ëa child called itââ¬â¢ gives the audience the idea that the child doesnââ¬â¢t exist, or as it tells further in the story, a child who is treated like he doesnââ¬â¢t exist. The author contrasts his mother in different contexts from when his ââ¬Ëmomââ¬â¢ was a good, caring mum to when his ââ¬Ëmotherââ¬â¢ changed into the abusive stage. Mom and Mother are used throughout the text to show the audience the different emotions he had carried for her. Mom is more personal and informal but suggests a close relationship between the two as it is used in the chapters that he is reminiscing about when his mom was a normal, caring mom. Mother is used in the chapters he was abused in and suggests a more distant relationship due to the formal language structure. When ââ¬ËMomââ¬â¢ was used, the emotions carried out towards her by David Pelzer were none other than belonging to her. When a child is told something so often they start to believe it. In this case, David Pelzer was ordered to say over and over again ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m a bad boy, Iââ¬â¢m a bad boy...â⬠which psychologically brainwashed him to believe that he was. That every time he was physicall... ...ejected, surrounding him as he says ââ¬ËI had readymade excuses mother made for meââ¬â¢. The ending doesnââ¬â¢t end on a ââ¬Ëhappily ever afterââ¬â¢ note but rather a dull and gloomy tone as it is set throughout the text. Sarcasm, contrast and similes are the main language features presented in the book to evoke disgust, torment and shock throughout the audience showing them either how she saw the abusive behaviours inflicted upon him or the brainwashed ââ¬Ëexcusesââ¬â¢ he learnt from his mother. Not belonging is the struggle in this text that didnââ¬â¢t get resolved by the ending making it a dark, gloomy tone and the language features used also evokes a dark feeling within the reader. A Child Called "It" truly explores the meaning of struggling with belonging due to other peoples actions rather than their own and provides appropriate use of imagery to emphasise the meaning of the biography.
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