Literature Analysis #1

A Child Called "It"

1.  David is a child who lives with an abusive, manipulative mother. He also has two brothers who are actually treated the opposite of him and are not hit. He has a very passive father who cares about David but does not have the will to confront his alcoholic, aggressive wife. David lives in cruel conditions where he is basically a slave who is ordered around by his mother. He has to do chores in order to eat and wash. Often times he is timed to finish a certain housework and beaten before he can eat his "food" which is often left overs from his brothers' plates. Most times he is starved. This leads him to steal snacks from kids at his school but news arrives to his mother and get's a painful beating. Sadly, he accepts it because he was so hungry, he was willing to take the risks. At a young age, David "masters the game" in which he learns to act like he is seriously in pain before she becomes more aggressive. Before, four year old David remembered his loving, perfect mother who gave him warm hugs, always kept the house clean, and took care of them while their dad often worked long days. She then began to change, spending hours on the couch still in her pajamas and her discipline soon changed to violence but little David adapted to accept it and keep quiet. He had a painful childhood where his mom threw him across the room, kicked him, shoved ammonia down his mouth, at one point stabbed him, shoved his face in his little sisters poop, and attempted to burn him on the stove. He was often covered in bruises but of course in unnoticeable places to avoid trouble. His brothers would even turn on him because they were scared of being beat themselves. His mom would never abuse him in front of his dad but he catches on and is also a dog on her leash. He tries to sneak David scraps of food while she is not looking. David grows to be a dark, cold child. More than fear, intense anger begins to build up in him. He's bullied often and has moments of rage. Soon, his dad leaves his life and now he is left alone in the "hell house." 

2. Stand up for yourself. Sometimes, it's very hard to leave. Whether it be something happy you're leaving or even something terrible, habits and routines stick with you. There were many times David wanted to stand tall and leave, but he was too afraid to leave the life he had learned to always live.

3.  The authors tone is dark, consistent and melancholy.

Pg 141 "My morale had become so low that in some self destructive way I hoped she would kill me, and I felt that eventually she would."

Pg 127 "Even though I had begun to accept my fate, I never felt as alone, as I did on the mornings that Father went to work." 

Pg 73 "I simply wished mother would beat me and get it over with." 

4.  Characterization pg 17 "My father, Stephen Joseph, supported his family as a fireman, working in the heart of San Francisco."

Setting pg 17 "We lived in a modest, two-bedroom house, in what was considered a "good" neighborhood in Daly City. I can remember looking out of our living room bay window on a clear day, to gaze at the bright orange towers of the Golden Gate Bridge and the beautiful skyline of San Francisco."

Flashback pg 26 "I never felt as safe and as warm as that moment in time, at the Russian River."

Inference pg 34 "With both arms stretched out and raised, mother came at me. As she came closer and closer, I backed my chair towards the wall. Soon, my head touched the wall." 

Simile pg 48 "At night I was so hungry, my stomach growled as if I were an angry bear."

Juxtaposition pg 79 "In the darkness of the garage I closed my eyes, dreaming I was a king dressed in the finest robes, eating the best food mankind had to offer. As I held a a piece of frozen pumpkin pie or a bit of a taco shell, I was king, and like a king on his throne, I gazed down on my food and smiled."

Personification pg 84 "As June turned to early July, my morale dwindled."

Symbolism pg 94 "Within a few seconds my sparked fizzled out."

Stream of consciousness pg 141 "My morale had become so low that in some self-destructive way I hoped she would kill me, and I felt that eventually she would." 

Allusion pg 153 "...and deliver me from evil."

Characterization: 

1.  Indirect characterization:

Pg 59 "As the prince, I knew I could end the charade of acting like a servant any time I wanted."

Pg 126 "Deep in my heart I had known mother was being nice to me for some reason other than wanting to love me." 

Direct characterization:

Pg 17 "He stood about five feet ten inches tall, and he weighed about 190 pounds."

Pg 18 "His thick black eyebrows matched his hair." 

2.  The author's syntax and diction is pretty consistent throughout even when focusing on the character. 

Pg 58 "Father occasionally try to sneak scraps of food to me, but with little success." 

Pg 84 "At the first syllable of her order I snap my head level, stood up and sprinted up the stairs."

3.  David is a dynamic, round character. Over the course of the book, he becomes a stronger person but he continues to live under the shadows. He lives in pain and fear but is scared to escape it. The book ends with him seeming to run away from his "family."

4. This book was so personal and descriptive of his life that I felt like I met the child. The author was very descriptive of his daily routines and life that the reader is able to take a look into his life.

Pg 68 "Sometimes at night I would wake up and try to imagine I was a real person, sleeping under a warm electric blanket, knowing I was safe and that somebody loved me. My imagination worked for a while, but the cold nights always brought me back to my reality. I knew no one could help me. My teachers, my so-called brothers or even my father. I was on my own, and every night I pray to God that I could be strong both in body and soul. In the darkness of the garage, I laid on the wooden cot and shivered until I fell into a restless sleep."

I cried as I read this book. It makes me livid that someone who calls herself a mother could possibly so such cruel things to a child. What infuriates me even more is that his teachers don't take notice of his ragged, ugly clothes and instead blame him and distance themselves from him. How could someone who is with a child for six hours, five times a week not pick up the signs of insufficient lunch boxes, clothes with holes, and bruises? My masterpiece relates to children and wanting to be a teacher. I want to make at least a small, positive difference in a child's life and build empowerment and purpose in their life. It sickens me that there are people who bring down people's dreams and I believe a big dream starts at a young age. Kids need guidance before they can get there so I hope that I can I inspire an idea or dream in children.