Literary Devices in Freak the Mighty
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Where exactly is Anytown, USA, you ask? Well, it's everywhere.See, Max's whole world revolves around his school and his home, so we never find out where the story takes place beyond this little wor...
Narrator Point of View
Boy do we get a VIP pass into the mind of Max in Freak the Mighty. And it's helpful, too, since he's kind of a tough nut to crack. We get some major insight into Max's insecurities and anxieties:Th...
Genre
Young Adult LiteratureFreak the Mighty can definitely be enjoyed by Shmoopers of all ages. But it's got the trademark YA characteristics:(1) It's about an 8th grader—i.e., a young adult. (2) The...
Tone
Max is a teenager who just wants to hide away in the down under "drooling in his comic books" (2.3) with "no fear of Gram sticking her head in the door" (2.1). Sure, we could chalk up the indiffere...
Writing Style
Max tells his story as if he were having a conversation with a friend. After all, that's what Freak suggests: "Just write it all down like you're talking. Put in all the fun we had, the cool things...
What's Up With the Title?
Wait a second. We thought this was a book about Max, not Freak. Well, Max may be writing the book, but he's writing it about his friendship with Freak. And together, these two form Freak the Mighty...
What's Up With the Ending?
By the end of Freak the Mighty, Max might have escaped his father, dealt with the death of his mother, and suffered through the death of his best friend, but he still has a tough battle ahead of hi...
Tough-o-Meter
Sure, Freak's vocabulary might be a bit of a challenge (cretin, archetype, obfuscate… huh?), but it's worth the difficulty. Plus, there is a handy dandy dictionary to help you out.
Plot Analysis
Outcast Meets OutcastAs the book opens, we are introduced to our main characters, and it's clear that these two need each other. Together, they form Freak the Mighty. The Bionic BoyFreak the Mig...
Trivia
Get this: you can bring Freak the Mighty to your school. The author himself adapted the novel into a play. Check it out. Rodman Philbrick wrote 10 novels before one was finally accepted for publica...
Steaminess Rating
Nothing to see here, folks.
Allusions
The New Testaments (the nickname of the run down tenements)The Nativity Story (16.32)King Arthur (Freak references the legendary knight quite a bit)Lady Guinevere (Freak gives his mom the nick...