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  • Essay / I'm a Bad Boy, by Dave Pelzer - 754

    Catherine has changed. She began drinking more than usual and her behavior quickly took a dramatic turn. By becoming easily frustrated, Dave, the most hyper of his children, became the bane of his existence. The author never clearly explains the cause of his mother's madness, because he will never know. The 1960s was a time when people did not interfere in other people's personal affairs. This is why Pelzer's case went unnoticed for some time. Catherine's behavior went unnoticed, especially by her husband, because he was a firefighter and was not home most of the time. Catherine found every possible reason to abuse Dave and clearly favored her other children over him. As Dave Pelzer got older, the punishments became more severe. It started when his mother grabbed him and slapped his face, then put him in front of a mirror and made him repeat, "I'm a bad boy" (Pelzer, 38). Every time he repeated this phrase, his mother would grab his face and crush it against the mirror. This was only the beginning of the betrayal Dave endured. The extensive use of pathos in this novel is illustrated in the scenario where Catherine forces Dave to lie naked on a lit stove. The cruelty doesn't stop there. After preventing Dave from consuming food for about 3 days, his mother claims that he must finish doing the dishes within 20 minutes. Extremely drunk, his mother holds a knife, puts it in front of his face and shouts: “If you don't finish in time, I'm going to kill you” (Pelzer, 50 years old). In her hazy state of mind, Catherine lost her footing and stabbed Dave. “It took Mother almost half an hour to dress my wound. There was no remorse in his eyes. I thought at least she would try to comfort me... middle of paper... a frozen pumpkin pie crust or a piece of taco shell, I was the king, and like a king on his throne, I looked at my food and smiled” (Pelzer, 79). This feeling of superiority explains why we should never give up, no matter how difficult the situation. Dave Pelzer has shown admirable character for surviving a horrible childhood and also becoming a man who strives to please his family and works for the betterment of society. Her clear and concise writing style in this novel gives us a child's point of view, which makes the book more moving than it could be. Using metaphors, Dave Pelzer establishes the claim that the human spirit has the ability to fight back regardless of the condition it finds itself in. This story should be a source of inspiration and motivation for those who believe all hope is lost..