Ugly by Constance Briscoe (ISBN 0340976608)
A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive
by Dave Pelzer (ISBN 1-55874-366-9) Sickened by Julie J. Gregory
Not without My Sister by Celeste Jones, Kristina Jones and Juliana Buhring (ISBN 9780007248070)
Question. What makes a child?
Recently, I have read several books on child abuse and they have left me with vivid imaginations of the unimaginable, cruel things that people can do to a child. Shockingly, the perpetrators in all the true stories that I read are mothers. Told by the victims of abuse themselves, the words I saw are now plastered on my mind and I can still picture the misfortunes and challenges that these unlucky people have gone through in their childhood and teenage hood. I do not remember being hit by my parents except for once and that etched a memory on my mind until now. And that was all because of my incessant and annoying (and perhaps provoking) speech. In comparison, that is nothing compared to what the children in the books have endured. The worst type of ‘abuse’ that I think one could possibly have to endure is emotional torment. I personally think that if one can suffer the psychological torment, one could survive anything. Feelings, negative or positive, in my opinion, stem from one’s own mind.
What is fear? What is shame? Innocent children would never know these unless they are taught by adults.
First come ‘Ugly’, in which Constance Briscoe recollected memories of her being the ‘ugliest’ daughter any mother could have. The emotional abuse performed by her mother was not enough, for Constance was often subjected to physical abuse as well, having to learn to fend for herself and her sister at a young age. Not knowing her real name until she turns eighteen, Constance ‘Claire’ Briscoe survived her incredible mother with her self-belief and courage which helped her to realize her dream to read Law. Now this is a story where the weak and abused triumphs over evil.
Perhaps I have shed too much of a tear reading ‘Ugly’ that I myself was flabbergasted that I was somewhat a person without feeling, reading what happened to Dave Pelzer when he was an ‘It’, abused by his (sadly, again) mother in ‘A Child Called “It”’. What Dave gone through as a very young child was hard to imagine. His mother performed inhumane acts on him, and those that are still fresh in my memory include having him sniffing ammonia in locked bathrooms and forcing him to eat his little brother’s faeces. Enough, I guess? I don’t have to say no more for if you can take what I have written here, you should be able to cope with the entire story. Reading about Dave gave me the strength to live on with whatever challenges that I am having or may be facing. I look forward to reading the next two parts of his trilogy.
Upon finishing the two books, I decided that I have to read something different. However, I was again attracted by true stories about abuse and psychology, for I cannot deny that I am interested in these subjects…
In ‘Sickened’ by Julie J. Gregory, I learned about how her mother with Munchausen by Proxy (MBP) syndrome, had Julie ‘treated’ for multiple illnesses throughout many years of her life although she has none. To fulfill her own psychological needs, Julie’s mother convinced not only herself and Julie, but also healthcare practitioners about Julie’s problems which cannot be diagnosed. Misled and being psychologically controlled by her mother, Julie often heeds her instructions and pretends to be sick at times to seek sympathy and help from doctors. Going from clinics to clinics and diagnosis to diagnosis, Julie became tired of the whatever illness that she is having, for she sees herself as being a healthy person, just like many others.
Well, if all these torments are not enough, I am reading ‘Not without My Sister’ by Celeste Jones, Kristina Jones and Juliana Buhring. No, you did not get me wrong. Now this one is also about child abuse, but just of a different kind.
“What has the world become?” I always thought to myself, but now, I realize that inhumane acts have always been around for as long as men can remember. Can we bring back the harmonious environment for the well-bring of us human beings?
