The Lost Boy

A detailed Summary of The Lost Boy

Dave Peltzer the author of "The Lost Boy" tells his story from the time he left his abusive mother and alcoholic father, through his experiences in five foster homes and juvenile detention, and how he eventually made it into the Air Force. He was a defiant, rebellious boy who, despite his background and personality, managed to endear himself to many guardians, social workers, and teachers. Pelzer writes in an honest, sometimes rambling, style; he is never bitter, and his story will find many sympathetic readers. The main purpose for Dave to write this book is to show at what lengths children and adolescents have gone to over come the unmentionable hardships of and abusive family. The three most valuable things I have learned from this book are very hard to choose. The book was full of many things to help me in my everyday life. Ranging from how to deal with kids who have been through abusive situations to how kids of abuse act in general.

The first one has to be, Dave was very tactful in how he handled his thoughts and feelings. Many children his age were running around chasing girls and hanging with the guys. Not him, he was studying hard and trying to be better then his parents. He would always squander away what he

Parenting techniques was another major point in the book. Dave's mother was a very troubled woman who for some unknown reason liked to target Dave and blame him for any and all bad things that happened. His mother was and authoritative and neglectful at the same time. Some may say how can one parent be on both extremes of things but there are a few instance with in the book, which shows both. For example Dave's mother would make him do all the chores and never was aloud to play. For some reason even if Dave finished what he was told to do in the time he was told to do it he would not be fed, or worse he would be part of his mother "Games and Test". His mothers "Games and Tests" range from putting him in freezing cold water for 5 hours at a time to making him sit on the garage steps with his hands under his bottom head strait a head for up to 36 hours at a time no food, bathroom, shower or other needs to live. Dave was saved from this horror when he was 15 but he was in foster care and the parenting techniques ranged from authoritarian to indulgent, but anything was better than what he had endured at his mother's house.

Depression was a major part in Dave's life. He would think why does my mother treat me like I am a piece of *censored*? Dave's depression stemmed from his long ours of being with himself. He had many hours, day, months, and years to think about what he had done. His mother made him out to be an evil unwanted child who was worthless. Dave thought the main reason his mother didn't like him and his father wouldn't talk to him any more was that he had failed as a son. Not till Dave was in foster care and his foster parents brought him to a therapist did Dave realize what had happened to him was to his fault and Dave was a normal boy. His mother was suffering from alcoholism and manic depression and her outlasted were targeted at him cause he was his fathers pride and joy. His father ignored him to please his wife (Dave's mother). His father also started drinking to drown his sorrows.

Delinquency was another major points in the book. Dave in his teen years was for the most part a very well behaved boy. He was working hard in school and kept to himself for the most part. Although Dave did have a small problem, he like to take things with out asking. Dave's stealing habits steam from his basic survival needs that he instinctively put up when his mother would make him go with out food, water, and basic sanitation. Dave at times would also lash out at his foster families so that they would not get too close to him. In some cases, when Dave would lash out he would be put into another foster home and have to readjust to things again. Dave usually liked to lash out h

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1816
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English