pages 216-340
Summary- So many important things happened in this section of the book. David moved from the Cantanzes home, because it was a big problem moving back after everyone knowing about his problems and juvenile hall. Although David was attached to Lilian and Rudy he was "placed" in the home of Alice and Harold for fours day and then "placed" in the foster home of Joanne and Michael. He is now thirteen years old so he is more mature and starts to notice what's going on around him. He starts noticing that Michael and Joanne got in arguments, because Michael didn't want the presence of David in his home. Knowing that things would only get worse he told his social worker,Gordon that he needed another home. David wrote down the addresses and phone numbers of all his foster homes to keep in touch with those who helped him.
Then David is moved to a foster home less than one miles from his mother's residence. During David's months in Fernando Riviera Junior High he became friends with a boy called Carlos. Even though they didn't speak the same language they could read each others minds. While walking home David chooses to pass by his old elementary school and he meets his brother Russell. The next day David goes back to his school to see Russell, but he meets his mother there who tries to follow him. His friendship with Carlos doesn't last since his foster father is accused of raping one of the girls who lived in the foster home ,so David is taken back to Alice's house. During his stay with Alice he meets with a psychiatrists who helps him understand things better and gets David to read books on basic psychology. As he grows older David worries about how he is going to survive on his own in the real world when he turns 18. As a result he starts getting jobs and earning his own money. Alice gets 3 new foster children who steal David's money so one day he decides to move on.
David had to stay in a juvenile hall for a couple of weeks and then he was "placed" with John and Linda Walsh. John and Linda moved with David to Duinsmoore Drive where he experiences his happiest teenager years. He befriended to boys who lived in the neighborhood. He held races with his friends in the streets and he had a new adventure with them everyday. Some people from the neighborhood judged him for being a foster child, because they believed that foster children weren't capable of doing anything. There was one man that helped him go through the obstacles he faced who was called Mr.Marsh and who became his mentor. He gave David a book about airplanes which made David happy since he always liked airplanes. Then David moves back again with Alice and Harold to find out that they are the "mom" and "dad" he had been searching for. David dropped out of high school to continue working since he wanted money that he would need in the future. He enlisted in the United States Air Force.
Quote
"In March 1994 I was in Ohio presenting a keynote address to local enforcement officer,teachers and social service workers.The lady who preceded me made a statement that made everything crystal clear : It takes a community to save a child." (Pelzer 313)
Reactions
This part of the story is where David realizes that he shouldn't worry about the past anymore. From what the narrator says I can say that he just wants to look in the future and stops trying to find out why he went through all that abuse. Pelzer also uses foreshadowing to show that something bad is going to happen. When he lives with one of his foster parents he explains that he feels likes back in his mother's house because his mother would always yell. I think this book was mainly written to show what foster children go through and the role their social workers and foster parents play in their life. The quote above shows that David now understands how each person in his life made him a responsible adult. He couldn't have saved himself without the help of his teachers who called the polices and his former social worker Ms.Gold ,who he called his angel. The epilogue also demonstrates that Dave Pelzer wrote this book to show that the system of foster homes is good but the hard thing is "adapting" to it. He still remembers all his foster parents and how they helped him survive.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Another Obstacle
pages 154-215
Summary In this part of the story David choose to close himself from others, because he is scared of getting hurt again. David is out of school and he wants to play out in the summer sun but he is scared of other kids picking on him. As a result David steals candies and toys from the store to fill up the hole he has. Stealing and misbehaving is just a distraction from his reality. One day he gets tricked by a boy called Johnny to steal a toy from Walgreen but in the end he finds out that Johnny's father is the store manager. Another important event is when he runs away from his foster home even thought he comes back. Rudy and Lilian, David's foster parents,are aware of his odd behavior and decide to call Ms.Gold. David confesses that to Ms.Gold that he feels upset,because there's so many things he doesn't understand but he wants to understand. He doesn't know if he should love,hate, or forgive his mother.
When David goes back to school he starts feeling ashamed of the clothes he wears so he starts hanging out with the wrong group. He becomes friends with a boy called John who has a gang. In order for David to join the gang he has to do something that shows he is tough. John makes him be a look out ,while John burns down the school. The next day David is accused of starting the fire but he was the one who stopped the fire by turning it off. The police obviously finds out so he is take to a juvenile hall in Hillcrest.
During David's stay in juvenile hall David's father visited him ,after a year of no contact. His biological father said that he would never forgive David because he practically ruined their family and that he couldn't imagine what people thought of him in the fire station. Then Lilian visits David to inform him that his mother is fighting for him to get him into a mental institution. His mom was waiting for him to screw up and this was the perfect moment for her. David's foster parents won the case, so he wasn't sent to a mental institution. He just had to stay for 34 more days in the juvenile hall for being accused of arson. When David gets out of the juvenile hall he calls Lilian mom for the second time and calls her house his home. This was a very emotional moment.
Quote " ... I didn't want to leave. In the "outs"-the outside world-it was too easy for me to get into trouble. While at Hillcrest I had grown use to my surroundings. I knew exactly what was expected of me. I felt safe and secure. As Carl Miguel escorted me to the front desk, he explained that the outside world would indeed be the real test of my survival." (Pelzer 215)
Reactions When I read this it really made me realize how being rejected by his family made him feel. He felt confused and ashamed of he was, because he didn't really understand what he was going through. The narrator has an young voice in this part of the story. Although I can see what the narrator is feeling he doesn't really explain he feels that way. He just says he is confused and he doesn't go to deep into why he chooses to steal and join a gang. The reader has to put the pieces to gather and guess that David is just trying to take his mind off his life by focusing on unimportant things things that will get the wrong attention.
This quote is important to the story since it shows that David is still going to face more obstacles. It kind of foreshadows that once ha goes back out he is going to have to face another problem. In this quote David tells us that he doesn't feel safe or secure in the real word, so I can assume that is why he got into so much trouble. As a foster child he is going to go through prejudice, but he is going to have find a way to survive.
Summary In this part of the story David choose to close himself from others, because he is scared of getting hurt again. David is out of school and he wants to play out in the summer sun but he is scared of other kids picking on him. As a result David steals candies and toys from the store to fill up the hole he has. Stealing and misbehaving is just a distraction from his reality. One day he gets tricked by a boy called Johnny to steal a toy from Walgreen but in the end he finds out that Johnny's father is the store manager. Another important event is when he runs away from his foster home even thought he comes back. Rudy and Lilian, David's foster parents,are aware of his odd behavior and decide to call Ms.Gold. David confesses that to Ms.Gold that he feels upset,because there's so many things he doesn't understand but he wants to understand. He doesn't know if he should love,hate, or forgive his mother.
When David goes back to school he starts feeling ashamed of the clothes he wears so he starts hanging out with the wrong group. He becomes friends with a boy called John who has a gang. In order for David to join the gang he has to do something that shows he is tough. John makes him be a look out ,while John burns down the school. The next day David is accused of starting the fire but he was the one who stopped the fire by turning it off. The police obviously finds out so he is take to a juvenile hall in Hillcrest.
During David's stay in juvenile hall David's father visited him ,after a year of no contact. His biological father said that he would never forgive David because he practically ruined their family and that he couldn't imagine what people thought of him in the fire station. Then Lilian visits David to inform him that his mother is fighting for him to get him into a mental institution. His mom was waiting for him to screw up and this was the perfect moment for her. David's foster parents won the case, so he wasn't sent to a mental institution. He just had to stay for 34 more days in the juvenile hall for being accused of arson. When David gets out of the juvenile hall he calls Lilian mom for the second time and calls her house his home. This was a very emotional moment.
Quote " ... I didn't want to leave. In the "outs"-the outside world-it was too easy for me to get into trouble. While at Hillcrest I had grown use to my surroundings. I knew exactly what was expected of me. I felt safe and secure. As Carl Miguel escorted me to the front desk, he explained that the outside world would indeed be the real test of my survival." (Pelzer 215)
Reactions When I read this it really made me realize how being rejected by his family made him feel. He felt confused and ashamed of he was, because he didn't really understand what he was going through. The narrator has an young voice in this part of the story. Although I can see what the narrator is feeling he doesn't really explain he feels that way. He just says he is confused and he doesn't go to deep into why he chooses to steal and join a gang. The reader has to put the pieces to gather and guess that David is just trying to take his mind off his life by focusing on unimportant things things that will get the wrong attention.
This quote is important to the story since it shows that David is still going to face more obstacles. It kind of foreshadows that once ha goes back out he is going to have to face another problem. In this quote David tells us that he doesn't feel safe or secure in the real word, so I can assume that is why he got into so much trouble. As a foster child he is going to go through prejudice, but he is going to have find a way to survive.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Accepting Reality
pages 120-153
Summary
In this part of the story David is trying to accept his life and who he is. He is facing identity problems because of the abuse he went through with his mother and he is willing to do anything for others to accept him. David knows that his mother doesn't love him for who he is and he feels that he never deserved her love or warmth. He always tries to think that it is going to get better and that one day he will be able to live with his father. For example one day his foster mother,Lilian, lets him know that his father is going to pick him up at 7 am and he stays waiting for him in the living for hours. Although he knows that his father stood him up he won't accept that it's not going to be different this time. He hoped that his dad was just late but he never came just like all the other times.
David also tries to get in contact with his mother but he just ends up getting in trouble. One of the situations when he rode his bike near his bike with his foster brother, Big Larry, even though he is not allowed to go near his mother or brother. As a result his mother calls Lilian during the afternoon "ranting and raving " ( Pelzer 140) about David and how Lilian can't control him. She warns Lilian that she is going to take care of finding someone that can manage David if she can't however David didn't understand how big the problem was. At this level David's foster parents start to realize that he has a problem, but David doesn't want to admit it. He is trying to cover up all the conflict in his life even if it makes him hurt more inside.
Quote
"I just could not accept the realities of my life. How in God's name did I let it come to this? I asked myself. I knew, as I stood staring out the living room window, that I would another day hiding in the only place I felt safe and warm-the covers of my bed." (Pelzer 147)
Reactions
Dave Pelzer really lets the reader into his mind and feelings that he felt after moving to his foster home. He reveals that he did face a problem while trying to live a new life without his mother. In this part of the story I read that there were times where he just locked himself up in the room and he hid his feelings. He didn't feel welcome in society which is one of the conflicts his faces. As I read more and more I am starting to realize that this is a bildungsroman where the character leaves his home and faces a conflict. David still had not reached the final step of being accepted into society or even accepting his reality. The quote above basically shows what David is facing in this part of the story. It explains that David reached a point where he was just tired of people thinking that he needed help ,being humiliated by others including his foster brother Larry Jr.so he wants to believe that everything is his fault. I wonder how he was able to cope with feeling insecure and the need of having to hide what you feel because your scared of what others will think of you.
Summary
In this part of the story David is trying to accept his life and who he is. He is facing identity problems because of the abuse he went through with his mother and he is willing to do anything for others to accept him. David knows that his mother doesn't love him for who he is and he feels that he never deserved her love or warmth. He always tries to think that it is going to get better and that one day he will be able to live with his father. For example one day his foster mother,Lilian, lets him know that his father is going to pick him up at 7 am and he stays waiting for him in the living for hours. Although he knows that his father stood him up he won't accept that it's not going to be different this time. He hoped that his dad was just late but he never came just like all the other times.
David also tries to get in contact with his mother but he just ends up getting in trouble. One of the situations when he rode his bike near his bike with his foster brother, Big Larry, even though he is not allowed to go near his mother or brother. As a result his mother calls Lilian during the afternoon "ranting and raving " ( Pelzer 140) about David and how Lilian can't control him. She warns Lilian that she is going to take care of finding someone that can manage David if she can't however David didn't understand how big the problem was. At this level David's foster parents start to realize that he has a problem, but David doesn't want to admit it. He is trying to cover up all the conflict in his life even if it makes him hurt more inside.
Quote
"I just could not accept the realities of my life. How in God's name did I let it come to this? I asked myself. I knew, as I stood staring out the living room window, that I would another day hiding in the only place I felt safe and warm-the covers of my bed." (Pelzer 147)
Reactions
Dave Pelzer really lets the reader into his mind and feelings that he felt after moving to his foster home. He reveals that he did face a problem while trying to live a new life without his mother. In this part of the story I read that there were times where he just locked himself up in the room and he hid his feelings. He didn't feel welcome in society which is one of the conflicts his faces. As I read more and more I am starting to realize that this is a bildungsroman where the character leaves his home and faces a conflict. David still had not reached the final step of being accepted into society or even accepting his reality. The quote above basically shows what David is facing in this part of the story. It explains that David reached a point where he was just tired of people thinking that he needed help ,being humiliated by others including his foster brother Larry Jr.so he wants to believe that everything is his fault. I wonder how he was able to cope with feeling insecure and the need of having to hide what you feel because your scared of what others will think of you.
Friday, October 8, 2010
New Beginnings
Summary
pages 42-120
In this part of the story David gets use to his new home and he gets introdiuced to his social worker, Ms.Gold, who becomes his best friend. David had many private sessions with Ms.Gold where he talked about his feelings and what his mother did to him. As the days got closer to the trial David started getting mixed feelings about telling the judge the truth, because he felt that he was betraying his mother. In the end David decides to tell the truth when he notices how he has changed for the best after moving in with Aunt Mary. After David became a ward of the court he stayed with Aunt Mary for a while and then he moved in with his new foster mom Lilian Catanze. He became close to his foster brother Big Larry but he always got into fights with Larry Junior. To my surprise David's biological mother visited David with his brothers and brought him his old bike which he had only drived twice. His mother did not talk to him or acknowledge that he was there which made him feel that he wasn't loved and made him wonder why his mother didn't love him. David starts living the life of a normal kid now he rides his bike whenever he gets the chance and his relationship with Lilian starts growing into a mother-son relationship.
Quote
"I remember August 21,1973 as my day on my bike. That day was the first time I felt that I was a normal kid, caught up in the splendor of a never-ending day. For years I heard the sound of kids zooming down the street, screaming with joy as they flew by on their bikes." (Pelzer 107) This quote shows that David never had the chance to be a kid. This is a good example of how David's life has changed for the good since he left his mother's prison.
Reaction
Dave Pelzer uses a lot of strong dialogue between the characters in this story to let the reader know what the characters are going through. He doesn't use many other literary devices but the words he uses are powerful. In the quote he uses italics to make certain words standout. In the quote the words my and normal are italicized, because they show what the author is trying to explain. David was able to ride a bike after so many eyars without having to worry about anything else like a normal kid. He didn't live the life of a normal boy before the trial, but now he has freedom. This is an important quotation to understand because it kind of shows the main idea of this part of the story where he is adapting to his new life. He is able to enjoy the little things like other children to look up to and he can talk to her about how he feels without being afraid that Lilian is going to hit him. The quote shows the new beginnings of his life.
pages 42-120
In this part of the story David gets use to his new home and he gets introdiuced to his social worker, Ms.Gold, who becomes his best friend. David had many private sessions with Ms.Gold where he talked about his feelings and what his mother did to him. As the days got closer to the trial David started getting mixed feelings about telling the judge the truth, because he felt that he was betraying his mother. In the end David decides to tell the truth when he notices how he has changed for the best after moving in with Aunt Mary. After David became a ward of the court he stayed with Aunt Mary for a while and then he moved in with his new foster mom Lilian Catanze. He became close to his foster brother Big Larry but he always got into fights with Larry Junior. To my surprise David's biological mother visited David with his brothers and brought him his old bike which he had only drived twice. His mother did not talk to him or acknowledge that he was there which made him feel that he wasn't loved and made him wonder why his mother didn't love him. David starts living the life of a normal kid now he rides his bike whenever he gets the chance and his relationship with Lilian starts growing into a mother-son relationship.
Quote
"I remember August 21,1973 as my day on my bike. That day was the first time I felt that I was a normal kid, caught up in the splendor of a never-ending day. For years I heard the sound of kids zooming down the street, screaming with joy as they flew by on their bikes." (Pelzer 107) This quote shows that David never had the chance to be a kid. This is a good example of how David's life has changed for the good since he left his mother's prison.
Reaction
Dave Pelzer uses a lot of strong dialogue between the characters in this story to let the reader know what the characters are going through. He doesn't use many other literary devices but the words he uses are powerful. In the quote he uses italics to make certain words standout. In the quote the words my and normal are italicized, because they show what the author is trying to explain. David was able to ride a bike after so many eyars without having to worry about anything else like a normal kid. He didn't live the life of a normal boy before the trial, but now he has freedom. This is an important quotation to understand because it kind of shows the main idea of this part of the story where he is adapting to his new life. He is able to enjoy the little things like other children to look up to and he can talk to her about how he feels without being afraid that Lilian is going to hit him. The quote shows the new beginnings of his life.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Roar Blog- Trying to Find a New Home
pages read: 1-41
Summary- This book describes the life of a boy named David who's abused mentally and emotionally by his mother, but he is eventually sent to a foster home. David's story takes place in Daly City, California during the 1970s. In the first pages are an introduction of David's life and what he has to go through everyday. He lives in the garage with no heat and all he eats are his family's leftovers. Sometimes David steals food but then he is forced to throw up everyday to prove that he didn't steal food. After so many years of being beat up for his mother's pleasure, David starts believing that he deserves to be treated like an animal. One day David's mother gets in argument with his father about the way she treats David. The mother tells David that he can just run away if he thinks he isn't being treated right. Eventually the police finds him and brings him back to his parents. Then finally on March 5, 1973 David's teachers and other staff memebers notified the police about his situation. He is taken to the county hospital to get all different types of examinations. His body is covered in bruises which surprised the nurse. At the end he is taken to a foster home owned by a nice lady called "Aunt Mary".
Quote- "As long as I could remember, I had always wiped my tears and retreated inside of my shell. This time I refused to wipe the tears away. I could feel the tears reach my lips,tasted the salt and let the tear dry on my skin as the rays from the sun baked throught the windshield. I wanted to remember that tear not as a tear of fear ,anger or sorrow, but as one of joy and freedom. I knew that from that moment on, everything in my life was new." (Pelzer 38) This quote is a good representation of David Pelzer's style because it shows that he likes to use symbols in his writing. In this quote the tear represents a new beginning for David.
Reaction- The author has a very direct way of writing. since the story is written from a first point of view. He uses metaphors and similers throughout the story, but he also uses symbols. For example, in the quote Dave Pelzer uses the tear as a symbol of happiness and and a new life. He makes it seem like I'm standing behind him and staring at everything he's been through. This is an important quotation to understand, because in a way it foreshadows what may happen in the next couple of chapter. For the first time David doesn't hide in his shell which shows that things are going to change. The quote also makes me think that he is done with the abuse since he is in a foster home and he is going to look for a new family. The tear also represents his new freedom and all the new things he is going to be free to do now that he is away from his mother.
Summary- This book describes the life of a boy named David who's abused mentally and emotionally by his mother, but he is eventually sent to a foster home. David's story takes place in Daly City, California during the 1970s. In the first pages are an introduction of David's life and what he has to go through everyday. He lives in the garage with no heat and all he eats are his family's leftovers. Sometimes David steals food but then he is forced to throw up everyday to prove that he didn't steal food. After so many years of being beat up for his mother's pleasure, David starts believing that he deserves to be treated like an animal. One day David's mother gets in argument with his father about the way she treats David. The mother tells David that he can just run away if he thinks he isn't being treated right. Eventually the police finds him and brings him back to his parents. Then finally on March 5, 1973 David's teachers and other staff memebers notified the police about his situation. He is taken to the county hospital to get all different types of examinations. His body is covered in bruises which surprised the nurse. At the end he is taken to a foster home owned by a nice lady called "Aunt Mary".
Quote- "As long as I could remember, I had always wiped my tears and retreated inside of my shell. This time I refused to wipe the tears away. I could feel the tears reach my lips,tasted the salt and let the tear dry on my skin as the rays from the sun baked throught the windshield. I wanted to remember that tear not as a tear of fear ,anger or sorrow, but as one of joy and freedom. I knew that from that moment on, everything in my life was new." (Pelzer 38) This quote is a good representation of David Pelzer's style because it shows that he likes to use symbols in his writing. In this quote the tear represents a new beginning for David.
Reaction- The author has a very direct way of writing. since the story is written from a first point of view. He uses metaphors and similers throughout the story, but he also uses symbols. For example, in the quote Dave Pelzer uses the tear as a symbol of happiness and and a new life. He makes it seem like I'm standing behind him and staring at everything he's been through. This is an important quotation to understand, because in a way it foreshadows what may happen in the next couple of chapter. For the first time David doesn't hide in his shell which shows that things are going to change. The quote also makes me think that he is done with the abuse since he is in a foster home and he is going to look for a new family. The tear also represents his new freedom and all the new things he is going to be free to do now that he is away from his mother.
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