Make good friends, you will succeed
Alexi Corfield 6&7th period
Analysis of the Development of Theme
Max and Freak are very different. Although, they become good friends. Max keeps Freak from being bullied and Freak gets Max smarter. I think that Freak is a great influence on Max. I also think that if Freak wouldn't have became Max's friend, then Max would've gotten to know his father, and maybe would've even liked him. He would probably follow his fathers' footsteps. If he would've done that he wouldn't have succeeded life. It would just be a big circle. That's why I think the theme works with this book.
Reflection and Application of Theme
I think that this theme is very true and that it will truly help you succeed in life. I do agree with the theme, the author did develop it well. I think that because: if Freak wouldn't have became friends with Max, Max wouldn't have succeeded. Also, if Max hadn't became Freak's friend he probably would've been bullied a lot and may have even been put in a situation where because of the bullies he would make a bad choice. Friends can either lift you up or bring you down. Most people who don't make good friends end up doing bad stuff like doing drugs, smoking, stealing, etc. When you make good friends they keep you from doing those bad things, and you are more likely to succeed. That is how my theme is relevant to our generation. Max and Freak are a good example of this.
Friends Serving
This represents two friends are serving. That connects to the theme because they are doing something good, that will help them succeed. They are being lifted up, not brought down.
Freak and Max
These two friends are very different. They represent Freak and Max. That connects to the theme because Freak helped Max do the right thing and uplifted him.
Bravery
This picture resembles bravery. Because Freak was brave and stood up to Killer Kane by spraying him in the eyes with "sulfuric acid." Because Max chose a good friend his life was saved.
Summary
Freak the Mighty
The book starts off with Max and Freak becoming friends. They go to the fireworks at the millpond and almost get killed by Tony D.! They also become "Freak the Mighty". Freak tells Max about how he's pretty much gonna get turned into a robot, and Max is worried. Throughout the summer they go on pretty cool adventures and even find Lorretta Lee's purse! When school starts Max is nervous, but he's in all the same classes with Freak, so that makes him feel better. In school Freak always rides on Max's back chanting, "Freak the Mighty". Freak helps Max with his school work, and teaches him how to read. Grim and Gram find out that Killer Kane has been let out of jail and are nervous. On Christmas Eve Max and Freak's families get together. They eat dinner, tell stories and each one of them gets to choose one gift to open, Max chose Freak's. It was a dictionary of Freak's favorite words that was wrapped in a cool contraption. Max absolutely loved it and was glad that he opened that one first. In the middle of the night Max woke up, confused, because he felt a breeze on him. He soon realized that it was Killer Kane, his father. He was going to scream for help, but didn't want Grim and Gram to get injured. Killer Kane took Max to Iggy and Lorretta's house in the New Testaments to hide. Iggy fed them and they then hid in some old lady's house who was out of town. Killer Kane tied up Max and left the house for a short amount of time. Lorretta Lee then came in the house and tried to save Max, but it was too late, Killer Kane's hands grasped around her throat. Max tried to help, but Killer Kane was too strong for him. Suddenly Freak was their threatening Killer Kane with a squirt gun that supposedly had sulfuric acid in it. (It was really just soap, vinegar, and curry powder to make Killer Kane feel like his eyes were burning out.) It worked, Freak and Max got away and Loretta Lee survived! Killer Kane was put in jail once again. From then on out Max doesn't sleep in the down under. On Freak's birthday their families got together for dinner to celebrate Freak being thirteen. They were all having fun until Grim shouts, "Kevin!" Freak is leaning back in his chair making this wheezing sound, panting really fast, and his eyes are flickering. He was having a seizure! They rushed him to the hospital in an ambulance, and all their was left to do was wait. The next couple of days went slow for Max because Freak wasn't at school with him and, except for once, he wasn't allowed to visit Freak. One day Max was so bored he walked down to the hospital and saw that the fair Gwen was crying and so were the nurses. Assuming the worst, he panicked and started making a riot! He finally broke through the doors and found Freak crippled up, dead. The cops finally got control of Max and handed him over to Freaks doctor who told him all about how Freak's heart got to big for his body and how that caused him to die. The story ended with Freak's funeral and Max feeling bad for himself. (I didn't really like the ending.)
Author Information
Rodman Philbrick, the author of "Freak the Mighty", was born in 1951. He is an American writer of novels for adults and children. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and currently lives in both Maine and Florida. In 1980 he was married to Lynn Harnett, until she passed away in 2012. Two of Rodman's most popular children books are "Freak the Mighty", and its sequel, "Max the Mighty".