A Child Called "It"

Life Lessons in "A Child Called It" and "The Lost Boy" 9th Grade

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Faith is taking the first step with courage even when you don't see the whole staircase.” In the nonfiction novels “A Child Called It” and “The Lost Boy” by Dave Pelzer, Dave survives through hard times with courage and faith. Dave’s mother used to be the best mother he could ask for until she became an alcoholic. Since then she has become very abusive both physically and verbally, hurting Dave in many ways. In the first book, “A Child Called It,” Dave has to have a lot of hope and courage to survive. Then after doing so he must learn to be able to fit in to a normal household when he gets taken into foster care in the second book. This will require him to have faith in himself and others. In the end he emerges victorious. Therefore, the lesson that Dave teaches us is that courage, hope, and faith can help you get through the hardest times in life.

One instance in which Dave illustrates the importance of courage and hope is when he decides to start fighting back against his mother. After his mother beats him one day, Dave has had enough and builds up the courage to survive and fight back against his mom. He states, “That day I vowed to myself that I would never, ever again give that bitch the...

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