The Fight for a Real Life

Synopsis

What I hope mother would do when she relize
what she has done to her child.

Thanks to the stravation mother made David suffer, he often stealed. Before class started he would finish his chores, run as fast as he could to the nearest store, and he would steal whatever was at hand. Sometimes, he decided that he would arrive at school extra early and he would steal from the truck that provided food for the school. He once stole a frozen hotdog, David without a doubt ate it with a sudden gulp. For a couple of days his plan worked until mother found out...... She forced him to throw up whatever was on his little stomach and she made him eat it again. All this happened when father was at home. Days passed away nad mother decided that David didn't have the priviledge to sleep uptairs anymore, she made him sleep in the garage where everythingwas dark and lonely. By this time mother didn't fed David so ge got the idea of asking a lady to make him a lunchbox. When this happened and mother found out she would make him swallow ammomia. Anyway, by this time also mother was getting kind of crazy. She threaten David with a knife because she wanted him to clean the dishes in 20min or else, mother would kill him! Mother kind of tripped and she stabbed him! She stabbed him! it was an accident though.When mother was gone David told father what had happened. David now had 30min to clean the dishes.

Quotes

"Even though Mother caught me in most of my attempts to feed myself, she could't catch me all the time. Aftermonths of being confined for hours at a time in the garage, my courage took over and I stole bits of frozen food from the garage freezer. I was fully aware that I could pay for my crime ata any timw, so I ate every morsel as if it was my last meal." (78)

I am aware that mother never feds David, but why should she had to treat him like that? She just increased a level of insaness. That isn't bearable anymore! David has to alert the police, a teacher, a friend about what is going on here. He might not be aware of this but, mother and his threatens can get to a very dangerous point in which his life could be dangeroud. He could get literaly killed.

"It was just a metter of time. I felt a curious sense of relief. I knew in my heart it was over. This whole charade of living like a slave had come to an end. Even Mother could not lie this one. I felt the accident set me free." (88)

There wasn't a slight sign of remore in mother's eyes, she just stood up and said to David that he now had 30 min to clean the dishes. HOW DARE SHE? He is a human being not a puppet. She at least could've taken him to an hospital where he would be in good hands. She stabbed him, stabbed him! That torment should've followed her until the rest of her days but she decided to just play it cool. I can't belive how heartless Mother is. Father is also very insensitive. David told him about what happened and he didn't care a bit.

Final Thoughts

I find it very interesting how David chooses to expres himself, it actually catches the reader attention even more. I have a lot of questions that are yet not answered, but I hope they soon will. Along these next few pages I have learn that hope can have two sides. It can give you something to believe in, and it can destroy you completely. In this case David thought that mother was finally giving up and this whole "charade" would come to an end. Eventually, when mother opened her mouth just to add 10 more min to his labour hours it destroyed him. He realized that it was only the beggining, it might never end, I asume he thinks that it is useless to think about his future if he has a very little chance to actually have one.... There is no more time to regret things, he has to tell someone!

Rough Days

Synopsis

The fight for food as David described it was very complex. He could only have leftovers from his brothers only when they felt like fedding him. Before they constantly asked mother if David could come out an play, however, when they asked they also got their beatings. Eventually Ronald and Stan stopped even looking at him in the eye. However, when father was at home everything was a living heaven. Mother wouldn't even scream at David. But, when he left the consequences began to arrive. When father had office hours 24 hours straight, mother would take advantage of it. One day she waited until David and his brothers arrived from school, she would send the others to their boy scout meeting and she would take care of David. She turned on the stove and ordered him to undress himself so that she can burn him. He didn't cry or did any sound because he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing him suffer pain. This is when the fight for food became a cycle. Father would try to sneak peaces of food for him whie he was grounded in the basement. He would steal food before school even started, and he would hear how mother and father argued. By this time mother was pregnant with his fourth child and everything became worse. When the baby was finally born, she used him as a secret weapon. She would bring him to the principal wherever he called him to inform her about the scars David had all over his body. Little by little she became more and more insensitive.

Quotes

"At the house, the dual punishment of hunger and violent attacks continued. By this time, for all practical purposes, I was no longer a member of the family. I existed, but there was little or no recognititon. Mother had ever stopped using my name; reffering to me as The Boy." (50)

Is David so meaningless? Why would anyone treat like someone like that? Who do she thinks she is? There must be some explanation to this behavior this isn't bearable anymore, this is literallt a living hell. At leat she could have the courage to reffer to David as his name but no, she has to be meaningless enough so that his name is "The Boy". Also why only him? Why did this had to happen to him? Why not Stan or Ronald?

"At school I was a total outcast. No other kid would have anuthing to do with me. During the lucnch recesses, I stuffed the sandwiches down my throat as I listened to my former friends make up osngs about me. "David the Food Thief" and "Pelzer-Smellzer" were two of the playground favourites. I had no one to talk to or play with. I felt all alone." (58)

It would've been nice that those kids should place themselves on David's shoes. How would they feel if they knew the truth about David's mother? How much lonelyness do they had to suffer if they only spent one day living like David? In my opinion in this case just the outfit David has to wear everyday says it all. A normal kid wouldn't use the same old clothes every single day wouldn't he?

Final Thoughts

Only this few pages made me thankful of everything I ever had, and everything I have. I am so glad to have a family that loves me and that rejects the idea od beating me. I hope that in the next few chapters David will no longer accept the conduct of mother, and he'll do something about it. He can't sit and keep his mouth shut with  his arms crossed, he has to end this injustice like right know. I hope that Father will reflect on what mother is doing and both of them will escape and live a happy live withought beatings. I really hope that evertything turns out just great. Also I hope that David would still be as corageous as he always should be.

It Is Only The Beggining

Synopsis 

My reaction when I started reading the horrible things that mother did to David.

It is March 5, 1973, Daly City, California. Life couldn't be harder for David Pezler. He was abused by his mother. David never told anyone about this though, he kept it a secret so he can "protect" her. Everyday is a routine. David arrives running to school (very often he is late) at Thomas Edison Elementary School, he tries to steal food before class even starts, as mother never fed him, he would go to class and immediately he would be send to the nurse office, there the nurse would check all the scars he had all over his body. According to the book, David had a scar of when mother stabbed him "accidentally". By this time David had given up everything in his life. One day, David was summoned to the principal's office after the daily scar check. In the office there was the principal, other teachers, the nurse and a police officer. After a long and confusing chat, the police officer takes David with him. He called his mother to tell her that she no longer had control over David, therefore David was free..... But the story doesn't begin yet.....Before David was abused he thought he was blessed by his parents. The little house they had in San Francisco was perfect. His mother (or "Mom" as David nicknamed her before) most of the time was very caring and loving with all the 3 brothers; David, Ronald, and Stan. Until one day..... everything went upside down.

Quotes

" The act worked. Mother can beat me all she wants, but I haven't let her take away my will to somehow survive" (4)

I can see how David tries to express himself. He always tried to keep standing tall as mother's attitude took a drastic change from caring into a witch. Why is that? Why does mother treat David so badly? David still have faith that maybe someday he will be free, he wouldn't have to suffer anymore. Me myself can't imagine how David can tolerate her. What tactics had he planned to not die. How much strength he had had to wake up everyday and realize he is in a living hell. I can't imagine or visualize the kind of pain David must've felt. Imagine if you were a victim of child abuse by your own "caring" mother?

"My relationship with Mom dratically changed from dicipline to punishment that grew out of control." (29)

I feel very bad for David. Before he thought as I said before blessed, he felt blessed for the parents he had. They before had picnincs and trips, LOVE . Everyone back then loved each other, mother sometimes even cried in christmas because she thought her family was real.....until from one day to another mother decided to treat David as a dog. She spanked him, she yelled at him, she even fed him only when his brothers left lefovers. Is mom alcoholic? because what other reason does she have to treat poeple so badly?

Final Thoughts

This book hooked me since the very beggining. I really can't wait to see what will happen next. I'm anxious to find out what other horrible things does mother does to this poor child. I am also looking forward to see how little by little David is transforming into a more corageous person. Not everyone has the courage to face all this terrible stuff that had been happening to him. Not everyone has hop even if they know there is nothing you can do. I really admore this kid and the way he himself tells the story of his rough life it's just mindblowing. I hope that the book is as interesting is it is right now.