A Child Called It is a memoir based on Dave Pelzer's abusive childhood. Pelzer suffered both psychological and mental abuse from his alcoholic mother. It begins on March 5, 1973 in Daly City, California. David had been late to school that morning after receiving a beating for not completing his homework on time. Catherine tells David to tell them he "ran into the door." David ends up in the nurse's office, being examined and interrogated by the school nurse. The nurse has known David's situation at home with his mother for a long time. It took him some time to confide in her about his abuse, but the nurse had been his safe haven for a while. All the school staff noticed his beatings and also learned not to report bad behavior to his mother because they know she will punish him. After a brief conversation with the nurse, his teachers and his principal, a police officer escorted him to the police station. At first David was scared because he sincerely believed that he would end up in prison, but then he realized that it was better than living in the mental asylum that was his mother's home. The policeman comforts him with the reassuring words “David Pelzer, you are free”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Dave now reflects on the good times he experienced in his childhood in the 1960s. During this time it was just him and his two brothers, Ron and Stan. Their father, Stephen Pelzer, was a firefighter who worked long shifts, and their mother, Catherine Roerve, was a loving, devoted woman whom he adored. They had many pets including cats, dogs and aquariums full of fish and a turtle. Mom always cooked amazingly, but Dave knew that she made the best meals on the nights when his dad was home. The family has never had a Christmas tree smaller than 8 feet. They would put a lot of time and effort into decorating the tree and their home. After finishing the decoration, the whole family went around comparing their neighbors' houses with their own. Stephen often worked 24-hour shifts, and because of this, Mom often took Dave and the boys on day trips. These trips, Dave recalled, were often to Gate Park in San Francisco. For Dave, spring meant family picnics. The mother prepared a feast for the joy of the whole family. These were the things that Dave remembers as the happiest moments of his life, but his favorite place in the world is the Russian River. Every day was a new adventure when they visited the river. He felt safer and warmer when making memories with his family at the river. As time went on, Dave's mother began to drink more to the point that she began to acquire the qualities of an abusive mother. Discipline was now brutal punishment. The mother brutally beats Dave, seriously injuring his arm. She takes him to the hospital but claims he had rolled out of bed. She was too afraid to speak, but felt that the doctor knew that her injury was not caused by an accident. The mother constantly made up stories to explain the bruises and wounds on Dave's body and often referred to Dave as a "bad boy." Dave did everything he could to try to earn his mother's approval. He was a good student, with more “happy face” homework than anyone else in class, but his mother still made him repeat first grade. By now, Dave knew that his mother wasn't so harsh when his brother and father were present. However, Stephen didn't do much to protect Dave. He was well aware of the abuse, but he didn't have the.