A Child Called “It”

1. A Child Called “It” Dave Pelzer

2. A Child Called “It” • Chapter One: The Rescue • Chapter Two: Good Times • Chapter Three: Bad Boy* O.E. • Chapter Four: The Fight for Food • Chapter Five: The Accident • Chapter Six: While Father Is Away • Chapter Seven: The Lord’s Prayer* O.E.

3. Themes of this novel include: • Loss of Identity • Courage • Endurance • Faith • Survival • Torture • Abuse • Physical • Mental • Verbal

4. Settings: • Daly City, California • Dave’s house • The basement • School

5. Characters • Author himself (Dave) • His disturbed, alcoholic mother (Catherine) • His father (Stephen) • School staff (principal, teachers, nurse, etc) • Siblings (Ronald & Stan) • Peers/Friends (or lack thereof) • Neighbors

6. Literary Terms • Imagery – using words to convey images; creating images in our minds with words that appeal to our five senses (touch, taste, sight, smell, & hear). • Foreshadowing- act of presenting materials that hint at events to occur later in a story. • Mood/atmosphere – emotion created in the READER by a literary work. • Motivation – force that moves the character to think, feel, or behave in a certain way. • Theme- central ideas in a literary work • Characters: Flat- exhibits a single dominant quality Static- one who does NOT change Dynamic- one who does CHANGE

7. Chapter One • Why is the very first chapter in italics? What type of atmosphere/mood does this type of font create for the audience? • At what point in David’s childhood story does the first chapter begin? (Climax, Exposition, Resolution, or Falling Action?) Support your answer. • Why does David capitalize the word, “Mother,” if she is the source of his abuse? Name five ways we find out David is abused.

8. Chapter One: The Rescue • Rushed/chaotic/ “walking on egg shells”/nervous/scatter-brained • Resolution – We know this because he describes the day that he finally becomes “free.” • He still believes he should “protect her” (Pelzer 6). Five ways he is abused: malnutrition, poor hygiene, visible wounds, raggedy clothing, and noticeable physical change when “Mother” is mentioned.

9. Chapter Two: Good Times • Name five positive qualities David’s mother’s possessed during his earlier years of childhood? Cite one source of evidence from the text. • What was Mom’s most dramatic lesson? (p.21) Why was she such a great mom during these moments? • Why do you think David calls his mother, “Mom” as oppose to “Mother” in this chapter? • Find one source of imagery throughout Chapter Two. Cite your quotation.

10. Chapter Two: Good Times • She loved to cook exotic meals and introduce her family to a multitude of cultural dishes. “Teachable moments seem to come easy for her” and her kids didn’t even know when they were learning. She was creative and thoughtful. During Christmas time, she made sure, “every room had a seasonal touch” (Pelzer 21). She took her kids on day trips and just had a strong motherly instinct to love and comfort her children.

11. Chapter Two: Good Times • When she taught her children about birth during the time when their cat was pregnant and having kittens. • David calls her “Mom” in this chapter because he is remembering her in a fond way. He is reminiscing on the wonderful memories he has of her and their family. • “fireball-like sun” (26)*sight whispering, “Santa came!” (23) *hear “pump higher and higher on the park’s swings (24) *feel/sight