Freak the Mighty

Born with Morquio syndrome, which restricts the growth of his skeleton, Kevin Avery’s mind has grown as big as his body is small. Extremely intelligent for a 12-year-old, Kevin—the neighborhood kids call him “Freak”—is already well-versed in science, history, and literature. He and Max become close friends the summer before eighth grade. Freak tutors Max and they go on adventures that Freak calls “quests” in honor of his love for the tales of King Arthur and his knights. Freak also explains to Max that he’ll soon receive an entirely new robotic body at the hospital’s research wing. However, this is a fantasy. Freak knows he doesn’t have long to live, but he’s cheerful and optimistic to the end. 

Freak the Mighty is Kevin’s name for the team of Freak and Max. They become friends and go on many “quests” while walking around town, little Freak sitting on huge Max’s shoulders. Each contributes his unique strengths to help the two of them avoid trouble and complete their adventures. At school, when a classroom of students taunts the boys and throws things at them, Freak shouts for silence, tells the class about his and Max’s adventures, then climbs onto Max’s shoulders and chants that the two of them are “Freak the Mighty! Freak the Mighty!” (78) until the whole class is chanting with him. Thereafter, the boys are known as Freak the Mighty. 

Gran loves Max, her grandson, but she also fears him. His father, Killer Kane, murdered her daughter, Max’s mother, and Max—sullen, overgrown, and similar in appearance to his dad—seems to be growing into another Killer Kane. Max’s friendship with Freak, whom Max cares about and protects from danger, quickly changes Gran’s opinion, and their relationship grows much better. She and Grim, Max’s grandfather, do everything in their power to help Max and protect him from his dad. Gran and Gwen, Kevin’s mother, become close during the year of Max the Mighty.

Grim is Max’s name for his grandfather, whose personality can be rather severe. Like others in town, Grim worries that Max will turn into a version of Max’s criminal father. He changes his mind when Max protects Kevin from a dangerous street gang, and they begin to open up to each other. Grim loves Max’s grandmother Gran and is very protective of her; he despises Max’s father, Killer Kane, who murdered his daughter, and he takes steps to protect Gram and Max, should Kane reappear.

Gwen Avery is Kevin’s mom; she’s very beautiful and a kind and generous person, but she worries about her son, whose physical disability can subject him to bullying and possible injury. Gwen at first is afraid of Keven’s oversized new friend Max, but she warms to him and realizes that his gentleness and large stature make him an ideal companion for her son. Kevin, who loves the legends of King Arthur, calls her “the Fair Gwen of Air” (4) as a play on the name Guinevere, Arthur’s queen. 

Kenny “Killer” Kane is Max’s father; he strangled Max’s mother when Max was four years old. Kane went to prison for many years but got parole and promptly kidnaps Max. Kane cares only for himself, and he threatens, harms, or kills others if they don’t do what he wants. Max is terrified of him. Although Kane is sentimental, he only about himself; he cries easily, but they are tears of resentment that people keep him from Max just because they believe he killed Max’s mother. Kane insists he never hurt her, but Max remembers clearly his father’s hands around her throat. Kane’s affection for his son vanishes when he realizes that Max remembers clearly that Kane murdered her.

One of Freak’s quests with Max is to retrieve a purse from a storm drain and return it to its owner. He and Max deliver it to Loretta Lee, who lives in the tenements and turns out to be a cigarette-smoking alcoholic. She and her husband, Iggy, torment the boys and later conspire with Killer Kane to hide Max in the tenements. Loretta still retains some goodness and tries to save Max from Kane, who nearly kills her for it. After Freak’s death, Loretta tells Max that Freak’s mother moved to California and fell in love with a man there: “ain’t that good news?” Max isn’t sure. “Take it from me,” she tells him, “it is” (160). 

Iggy Lee—bearded, pot-bellied, and covered in tattoos—runs The Panheads, a motorcycle gang. He treats Freak and Max cruelly when they bring Loretta’s purse to her because they look strange together and because he assumes they stole the purse and want credit for returning it. When Killer Kane comes back to town, Iggy transforms into his fearful and obedient servant, which suggests he’s really a cowardly bully. When Kane nearly kills his wife, though, Iggy worries so much he chews off part of his own beard. 

Freak and Max are assigned to eighth-grade classes together because this will help Freak manage his disability and enable Max to learn more. Their English teacher is Mrs. Donelli, who feels overwhelmed by their “Freak the Mighty” demonstration in class. Freak always knows the answers to her questions, while Max is too shy to talk, so she visits him in study hall, where she quizzes him and finds that he, too, knows the answers. In this way, Mrs. Donelli works out her relationship with the two boys and satisfies herself that they both know the material, but she never quite manages to wrap her mind around their unusual way of working together. 

Formal and proper, Mrs. Addison, principal of Freak and Max’s school, nevertheless has a big heart. She worries about Max, especially on the day when she must tell him his dreaded father is coming back to town, and she must calm him a second time that day when Freak has a choking spell and goes to the hospital. Max’s love for his friend and his quick action to save him convince Mrs. Addison that Max isn’t like his criminal father: “You’re going to be okay, Maxwell Kane,” she says. “I’m sure of it now” (87).