David Pelzer’s Conflict In A Child Called “It”

The memoir A Child Called It, by David Pelzer, is about a young boy who encounters terrifying incidences of child abuse by his own mother. He is on his own since no one is there to help him or save him from his mother. Without a doubt, David encounters his most terrifying conflict at age ten when his own mother stabs him on his chest; however, with his courageous spirit and quick thinking, he’s able to save himself.

The conflict initiates when his mother asked him to wash the dishes. She warns him to finish cleaning the dishes in 20 minutes otherwise she would kill him with the knife she had in her hand! Suddenly, his mother stabs David on his chest, and he starts to bleed heavily which eventually causes him to faint. After he wakes up, instead of taking him

Therefore, David approaches the problem with determination and practicality rather than running away from it. Knowing it was a matter of life and death, David boldly saves himself in the most efficient way he can. It’s hard to believe an eleven year old boy would have the courage or the willpower to save his own life by dressing his wound, but David is shockingly capable of doing this by only relying on himself to find the solution. He becomes stronger despite an escalating sense of isolation.

David knew he had to do something since he was now catching a fever and couldn’t stop bleeding. “I knew about basic first-aid training to clean a wound, so I felt confident that I could do it alone. I wanted to be in charge of myself (Pelzer 97). Eventually he goes to the garage sink with whatever strength he had left i

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