A Child Called It by David Pelzer

A Child Called "It" by David Pelzer

Summary

A Child Called "It'" by David Pelzer is a harrowing memoir that chronicles one of the most severe child abuse cases in California's history. Published in 1995, this New York Times bestseller details Pelzer's experiences of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his alcoholic mother from ages four to 12. The author's unflinching account of survival against overwhelming odds remains a powerful testament to human resilience and has sparked important conversations about child abuse and the foster care system.

Plot

Dave Pelzer's memoir A Child Called "It" chronicles his harrowing experiences of severe child abuse at the hands of his alcoholic mother. From ages four to 12, Pelzer endured unimaginable physical and emotional torment, as his mother no longer viewed him as a son but as a slave, referring to him as “it."

The book details the horrific abuse Pelzer suffered, including starvation, beatings, and dangerous “games” his mother would play. She forced him to drink ammonia, stabbed him, burned him on the stove, and made him eat his own vomit. Pelzer's father, though aware of the abuse, did not intervene and turned to alcohol himself. The young boy was relegated to sleeping on an army cot in the basement and wearing tattered clothes.

Throughout his ordeal, Pelzer clung to his dreams of someone rescuing him and showing him love. His determination to survive grew stronger in the face of the abuse. Finally, on March 5, 1973, Pelzer's teachers intervened, and he was removed from his home and placed in foster care, ending years of torment but leaving deep emotional scars.

Setting

A Child Called “It” is set primarily in Daly City, California, a suburb of San Francisco, during the 1960s and early 1970s. The story unfolds against the backdrop of a working-class neighborhood, where the Pelzer family's modest home becomes the site of horrific abuse hidden from the outside world.

The era depicted in the memoir reflects a time of significant social change in America, with the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, and counterculture all influencing the broader societal context. However, these larger events remain largely in the background as the narrative focuses intensely on David's personal experiences within the confines of his home and school.While most of the abuse occurs within the family's house, other key settings include David's elementary school, where teachers eventually intervene, and the foster care system, where he is placed after being removed from his mother's custody. The contrast between the hellish environment of his home and the relative safety of these other spaces underscores the isolation and desperation of David's situation.