Previous
Symbols
While walking along the beach, Dave Pelzer sees a piece of wood being swept back and forth by the waves. Pelzer suggests that the wood symbolizes his own life—like the wood, he’s been “pushed and pulled in every direction.” In the end, however, Pelzer breaks free of the cycle of child cruelty and builds a happy life for himself, in a way escaping some of the more overwhelming “waves” that have buffeted him against his will.
The Piece of Wood Quotes in A Child Called It
The A Child Called It quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Piece of Wood. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Epilogue
Quotes
I marvel at the wood how it reminds me of my former life. My beginning was extremely turbulent, being pushed and pulled in every direction. The more grisly my situation became, the more I felt as if some immense power were sucking me into some giant undertow. I fought as hard as I could, but the cycle never seemed to end. Until suddenly, without warning, I broke free.
I'm so lucky. My dark past is behind me now.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire A Child Called It LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Piece of Wood Symbol Timeline in A Child Called It
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Piece of Wood appears in A Child Called It. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Epilogue: Sonoma County, California
...on the beach, looking out at the Pacific Ocean—it’s a beautiful day. He notices a piece of wood with an “odd, twisted shape.” The wood is swept back and forth in the waves,...
(full context)
