A Child Called “It”
A few days ago, I bought A Child Called “It”, a book written by Dave Pelzer, who as a boy was abused by his mother. It is said to describe the worst case of child abuse ever heard of. Once he was cut in his stomach but his mother didn’t take him to the hospital. He rarely ate at home, had no clothes to change, and once he was burnt on the gas range. Can you believe it? Last night I found it difficult to read on because it was so sickening, terrible, and grotesque.
In Japan, it is often said that more and more children are being abused. They are too young to ask for help. I feel really sorry for them. Those parents who cannot bring up their children shouldn’t have had them. Why do so many immature or cruel parents exist?
Comments
mercyskye :: September 22, 2003
I agree with what graham says with regard to how these children can grow up to become more than their parents. My grandmother grew up in the 1910’s-1920’s and had an evil stepmother, in every way you can possibly think (like Cinderella, but more dastardly). She had no one to turn to, and relied on her own strength to get through. My father was raised in her wonderful household and there was never any abuse, ever. Ironically, my grandmother was the only child left in the family to take care of her stepmother when the stepmother needed living assistance. She did this without complaint.
It is a weakness, as graham states. It is feeling as though you have no control, that you must have control, and that you must achieve this through physical/mental intimidation. My step-greatgrandmother also removed/burned all traces of my biological great-grandmother, so that my grandmother would only know her as her “mother.” But as long as I have known my grandmother, she has always been strong and in fact never called this person her “mother”. These people don’t win. Human nature wins.
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Child abuse seems to be a universal tragedy. The sickening dark side of human nature seems to cross race, gender and culture. That people can rise above the weakness of their ‘parents’ (and it is a weakness to inflict suffering like that) and not repeat them, is in its own way a tribute to human nature and the will to survive.