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The lost boy by david pelzer essay

“ The Lost Boy” which is the follow up sequel to “ A child called ‘ it’” written by Dave Pelzer, tells the heart breaking story of a boy who just wants to be loved. He has been abused for years by his alcoholic mother and now, finally gets the chance to break free of her torture.

This book is written in first person as it helps you to understand his perspective. During this report I will be covering real characters and an interesting plot. The characters in this book are based on real people in the author’s life, although some names have been changed to protect their privacy.” Some of the names in this book have been changed in order o protect the dignity and privacy of others. ” The main character David has been abused ever since he can remember by his mum or as David refers to her “ mother” Roerva, who is mentioned later.

She has left David physically and mentally scared, but he won’t let that get in his way at school as he is a very determined person and wants to do well. Through years of being beaten and tortured David becomes more aware of how his mother’s psychotic mind and tactics work. For David to be alive today he had to be very courageous and strong willed. David has dark ash blonde scruffy hair but has other things on his mind than brushing it! His clothes are quite small since they were a Christmas present a few years before from his auntie.

There are a few holes in his trousers and t-shirts but as long as he has clothes to wear he doesn’t care. Unless David washes his clothes himself they remain dirty. At school he needs glasses but he dare not take them home as “ mother” will destroy them just for the fun of it. “ I cannot see very well without my glasses. Since it is not a school day I can’t wear them.

” The threat of his mother’s physical abuse to his property is not worth the hassle and so he leaves whatever precious belongings he has at school. Related postgame of thingsRoerva, David’s mother treats him worse than a prisoner in jail. “ I’m mother’s prisoner.

” She uses him for her own sick and twisted pleasure. Including David she has three children, two other boys named Ron and Stan. Stan is younger than David. Although the eldest child Ron knows how badly his brother is being hurt, he would never undermine his mother, in fear of being punished.

Roerva is ruining whatever marriage she has by drinking. She has a serious problem with drink since she would start drinking at four o’clock in the afternoon! “ Upstairs the battle begins. Since it is after four in the afternoon, I know both of my parents are drunk. The yelling starts! ” She already has a bad temper but when she starts drinking nothing and no-one will get in her way, especially David. David’s father Stephen is rarely mentioned in the book but through David’s thoughts I feel like he is an important character.

When Roerva is playing “ games” with David, Stephen would try his best to stop her, even though he knows he can’t as he himself is scared of her. “ I can picture my father – who, after all these years, still tries somewhat to stand up for me -. ” Stephen used to be a role model for David as he was the wonderful, amazing fire man who saved every one, or so David thought. Stephen would use the excuse of “ work” every time things got a bit heavy at home, then he would return late at night drunk in order to black out the abuse he would get from his wife. I think that Stephen comes home drunk because he knows how David is already being hurt, and if he gets into an argument with Roerva she will turn her anger to “ the boy” as she refers to him. The plot of this story is mainly about the abuse that David suffered in his life and how his life changed as he grew up.

David had been subjected to horrendous cruelty for years. He had only one thought that consumed his longsome days and nights and that was how to survive his unhappy life! “ All I can do is try to imagine myself away somewhere, anywhere – but “ the house. ” He plotted all sorts of things to enable him some kind of release from his daily torment, suffered at the hands of his cruel mother. Planning and timing were essential, if David was to have at least one chance of normality in his life.

He would plan to steal some left over food from the family’s lunch or supper (which he was always excluded from) while his mother was out shopping or when she had fallen asleep after a drinking binge. He was never allowed many things we take for granted like food, new clean clothes, a warm soft bed to sleep in. So David had always a plan to help himself achieve those things. Timing was imperative, because if his timing was wrong, then he would no doubt be caught.

He had to time and plan how long it would take himself to get from his cold and sometimes damp garage stairs, through the house towards the kitchen to steal some food. Should his mother wake up or return early then he would be punished by her cruel acts once again. For David not to get caught the routine had to be practiced. David wanted more than any thing to survive.

He dreamt of being accepted as an ordinary child, but in order to achieve this he had to plan and scheme around his tormented life. He knew that if he gave up then “ mother” would have won. The abuse in this story is something no child should live with. As I read the book I took into consideration how many children do suffer from child abuse, and don’t say anything.

David was lucky as the school noticed his many bruises and ripped clothes, and informed social services. “ To the teachers and staff who rescued me” If it was not for the school David’s abuse would have lasted a lot longer, where he would have surely suffered serious damage. The abuse David suffered at home was terrible. He would be locked in the bathroom and made to scrub the floor with very strong toxic bleach. The fumes alone could have killed him.

David was made to sleep in the garage in an old army cot. “ I wake up from sleeping in an old army cot in the garage. ” Every day there would be the same routine. Once he got up he would carry out the morning chores and if he was lucky try to eat his brothers left over cereal. After he had finished his chores David would run to school thinking of ways to steal food without “ mother” knowing.

When he returned home he would often be made to throw up in the toilet bowl to see that he had not committed the crime of stealing any food. “ And am forced to throw up in the toilet bowl to prove I didn’t steal any food. ” The afternoon chores are performed and only if they are done properly would he get a tiny morsel of left over food. If he has no chores David is made to sit on his hands at the bottom of the stairs in the freezing cold garage and wait to be summoned by “ mother”.

One game that mother often plays is the game of “ Address”. “ It’s the game of address, in which I have to stand xactly three feet in front of her, my hands glued to my side, my head tilted down at a forty-five degrees angle and my eyes locked onto her feet. Upon the first command I must look above her bust, but below her eyes. Upon the second command I must look into her eyes, but never, never may I speak, breathe or move a single muscle unless mother gives me permit ion to do so! ” The way David tells us about the “ game” is very serious; it is almost as if he is actually playing the “ game” as he is telling it.

The short sentence structure acts like lots of separate commands, and by him saying “ I must … it gives me the idea that his mother would punish him if he disobeyed her! I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it lets me see just how lucky I am, and how unfortunate others can be who suffer from abuse of any kind. I liked the way the book was written as the vocabulary got better as David grew older which helps you understand the different stages of his life. From a child at primary school to a grown adult man attending college.

As this is a sequel book I am looking forward to reading the next one “ A man named Dave” to see how the story progresses.

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