Society has always tussled with the realities of child abuse for ages; Dave Pelzer’s A Child Called ‘It’ gives a clear image in understanding the intensity and horror of this evil. It is an account of one of California’s worst cases of child abuse. The memoir deals with the agonising memory of his mother abusing him emotionally and physically.
With the author’s obstinate resilience and survival, this story is a testament to his mettle; Pelzer was part of an “ideal family”, and the story unfolds the author’s life from the ages of five to 12, the shift from being the darling of the family to bereft was far less.
His mother was an alcoholic and emotionally deranged; she did unpredictable acts. Pelzer shares the punishment he was forced to undergo, eating scraps, with his parent making him starve to death and even stabbing him. This narrative itself is capable of making readers devastated and petrified. His mother never addressed him by his name; she called him “it”. She made him feel worthless.
Every time she beat Pelzer, she had him repeat, “I’m a bad boy.”—impacting him psychologically and brainwashing him into thinking he deserves the abhorrent treatment.
Despite the terrible beginning, he managed to turn his life around. His tale of hope, a positive attitude and determination to survive his mother’s abuse led to the testament of recuperation and rescue.
The relentless truth makes the book enthralling, with Pelzer eliciting the whole shebang of his memory as a resilient survivor. The narrative is a no-holds-barred account of his suffering, from getting beaten to being subject to gruesome acts of violence.
This book isn’t just about the abuse, but it portrays the adaptation and the determination of a 12-year-old who holds on to his dream of a better life. The story is both motivating and heart-rending at the same time.
However, the book has been subject to criticism arising from the lack of a proper explanation of the shift in the mother’s character. This uncertainty leads to the resonance of the complexities of her behaviour. Thus, this ambivalence amplifies the power of narration, as “it” goes through unreasonable cruelty.
The memoir A Child Called ‘It’ offers insight into the world of child abuse and its abiding effects. The book accentuates the significance of identifying child abuse, how to deal with it, and how it can have a significant effect on a person’s life. It serves as a reminder that child abuse is a serious issue that needs to be addressed in order to protect our society’s most vulnerable citizens.
A Child Called ‘It’
Author: Dave Pelzer
Publisher: Seven Dials/Hachette (India)
Pages: 240
Price: Rs 699
