Tuesday, February 4, 2014

How does Kevin change in Freak the Mighty?

Kevin, one of the main characters in Freak the Mighty goes through a dramatic change that we witness through the eyes of his best friend, Max. While this change is tragic, it allows other characters to grow. 


Kevin, a complete genius, faces physical disabilities in that he is only 3 feet tall and gets around on crutches. Throughout the novel, we notice how many people feel sorry for Kevin - Grim, Gram, and even Max all express their sympathies. One way in which Kevin doesn't change is that he never lets his physical size bother him - he continues doing things that make him happy, eventually taking Max on for the ride as well. 


Kevin enjoys going on adventures, and once their friendship is solidified, Max and Freak go on those adventures together. Truly an example of how opposites attract; however, one could argue they both need to confront their rather different appearances.


Late in the novel, we learn that Kevin dies. This dramatic change that Kevin goes through actually promotes change in other characters. For example, Gwen moves away in an attempt to forget and Tony D. attempts to reconcile with Max. We note the largest change, however, in Max. Kevin leaves behind a blank journal for Max to begin writing down his adventures in order to inspire Max to stay outside of his bedroom and live life to the fullest. By the end, we learn that this is how the story Freak the Mighty was written. The impact that Kevin's friendship with Max and his death have on Max is what inspires the most change in the novel. 

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