A Child Called “It”
by Dave Pelzer
You will be required to respond to questions #1-7. Next, you must select at least 5 other
questions from those remaining. Questions must be answered using complete sentences.
The report should be done in essay format, typed using 12-point font and double-spaced.
Remember to watch for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
REQUIRED RESPONSE QUESTIONS:
1.
Why do you think the first chapter of the book is titled “The Rescue”? Why does the
author begin telling his story by starting with the end?
2.
Why is it important to know what year this story took place? How does this period in
time affect the situation? How would the story be different if it were to take place in
the present?
3.
In Chapter 3, other kids told Dave how they wished their mothers would be like his.
What made them wish this? How is this ironic?
4.
At what moment did Dave decide that he hated his father even more than his mother
(pg 67)? Why?
5.
On page 125, he states, “I was so hungry for love that I had swallowed the whole
charade.” Explain this statement and what the significance is of the words that were
chosen.
6.
Explain what is meant by the “challenges of my past have made me immensely strong
inside…My experience gave me a different outlook on life, that others may never
know.” (pg 157)
7.
The poem on page 175, “I Never Knew” is a very fitting way to end this book. How
has this book changed your attitude about child neglect & abuse? Do you think that
many people in Dave’s life “never knew”? Explain your answer.
SELECT AT LEAST 5 OF THE FOLLOWING RESPONSE QUESTIONS:
1.
Why did his mother think that his father was “going behind her back? Give some
examples of this.
2.
On page 42, Dave says, “For the first time, I had won!” How did he accomplish this?
3.
How was the trip to the Russian River in Chapter 4 different from the time before?
4.
On page 79, Dave describes himself as “the King”. What is the reason for this
description?
5.
Explain why Russell at the age of 4 or 5 could be depicted as Mother’s “Little Nazi”?
6.
On page 91, Dave stated, “all my respect for my Father was gone”. What prompted
this reaction?
7.
Why does his mother feed him and nurse him through “the accident”?
8.
On page 98, he exclaims, “I am Superman”. How is this possible?
9.
Dave describes his torture as a “game” to his mother. Find some examples to
illustrate this as a fitting description.
10. On page 123, it appears that his mother has a change of heart and wants to “make up
for all the lost time”. Why this sudden attitude change and what happens?
11. On page 131, he says, “I came to believe that for me, there was no God”. Why does
he feel this way?
12. On page 138, he is told, “jumping is your only way out”. Why would anyone say that
to him? What other options exist for him?
13. On page 140, Dave comes home with good news. What is the news and what is his
mother’s reaction?
14. On page 151, he says, “I knew nothing could stop Mother now”. What happened to
make him feel like this? What is his feeling towards his father at this point?
15. What feeling toward the Russian River does Dave have now? Why?
16. Select a quote from the book (note page number) that you feel strongly about or that
you feel has significance in the book. Explain why you chose this particular quote.