1. To what literary genre does The Lost Boy belong? The Lost Boy is a memoir, which is like an autobiography but does not attempt to cover the entire life of the author. In this case it covers the life of a boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen. The book might even …
Dave Pelzer was born on December 29, 1960, in Daly City, California. He is the son of Stephen Joseph Pelzer, who was of Austrian and Irish descent, and Catherine Roerva Pelzer. Dave Pelzer was the second of five boys in the family. From the age of about four to twelve, Pelzer was subject to …
“I have no friends, no place to hide, nothing to turn to.” p. 13Dave describes an incident that took place during the years in which he was abused. He has temporarily escaped from his abusive mother and is walking the streets, intending to get to the Russian River, which he remembers from when he was …
Prejudice Against Foster Children Pelzer several times refers to this theme. Pelzer’s life story is itself an example of the difficult life led by foster children, and his touching portrait of Chris, the seventeen-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who has lived in more than a dozen foster homes, is another example of the challenges …
The Seagull In the epilogue, Pelzer creates an explicit metaphor out of a flock of seagulls that he observes at the beach in Sonoma County, California. One seagull cannot keep up with the rest of the flock and falls to the sand. It hobbles around and finds some food, but then the rest …
Dan Brazell Dan Brazell is the father of Dave’s friend Paul. He is known as the “Mr. Goodwrench” of the neighborhood, always working on some mechanical project in his garage. He is wary of Dave at first but eventually warms up to him. Paul Brazell and Dave Howard Paul Brazell and Dave …
Chapter 8: Estranged Dave feels uncomfortable back with Linda and Rudy because the other kids there are suspicious of him. After some days, Gordon tells him he must move out. He has done nothing wrong, but another child has been assigned to live there. Dave is upset at having to leave, as is Linda. …
Chapter 6: The Defiant One Dave decides that in order to survive, he must make himself hard and not care about anything. He starts stealing candy bars from the local grocery store, and then toy models. Other kids get to hear of his exploits and come and watch him steal. They dare him to …
Chapter 4: New Beginnings Dave begins to get used to his new life with Aunt Mary, and at his new school. He is shy around his classmates and finds it hard to make friends. Another foster child tells him not to mention that he is in a foster home because some people are prejudiced …
Chapter 2: An Angel Named Ms. Gold On March 5, 1973, Dave is finally rescued from his terrifying situation. Teachers and staff at his school in Daly City notify the police of the abuse he is enduring. On that day, Dave says goodbye to his teacher, Mr. Ziegler, who tells him to be a …
