Freak the Mighty forteller historien om Max Kane, en syvendeklassing som er formidabel i vekst, men som sliter med en udiagnostisert lærevansker og traumet ved å miste moren sin til vold i ung alder. Maxs nye nabo Kevin "Freak" Avery ser ut til å være den motsatte. Freaks lille størrelse skyldes en sjelden genetisk lidelse som gjør det vanskelig for ham å gå. Etter å ha stiftet et vennskap, begynner Max å bære Freak opp på skuldrene og dermed er "Freak the Mighty" født!
Studentene kan spore de forskjellige temaene, symbolene og motivene som finnes i Freak the Mighty og lage et edderkoppkart som merker, definerer og illustrerer dem.
Storyboard Tekst
THE BLANK NOTEBOOK
"I want you to fill it up with our adventures."
MORQUIO SYNDROME
"I could tell you all the medical terminology, but what finally happened is his heart just got too big for his body."
FRIENDSHIP
"We're Freak the Mighty, that's who we are. We're nine feet tall, in case you haven't noticed." That's how it started, really, how we got to be Freak the Mighty, slaying dragons and fools and walking high above the world"
Before he goes for his "operation", Kevin gives Max a blank notebook and tells him to "fill it up with our adventures". In this way, Kevin shows Max that he believes in him and his ability to write. He also offers Max a way to remember him and their special times together. Without Max realizing it at the time, it also gives him a way to process his grief.
Freak/Kevin has "Morquio syndrome", which is a rare genetic condition that affects a child's bones and spine, organs and physical abilities. Kevin's organs continued growing while his skeletal system remained small. This is what caused him many health problems.
Kevin og Max utvikle en usannsynlig vennskap. Til å begynne med er Max forbauset over Kevins enorme ordforråd og hans fysiske forskjeller. Imidlertid finner han snart ut at Kevin er den mest interessante personen han noensinne har møtt, og de danner et nært bånd. De løfter hverandre opp på forskjellige måter - til og med bokstavelig talt!
The Dictionary
FREAK THE MIGHTYThemes, Symbols & Motifs
TRAUMA
FAMILIE
Kevin gives Max a dictionary for Christmas. It is a hand-written book of all his favorite words along with insightful and humorous definitions. Since they bonded over storytelling, learning to read, and Freak increasing Max's vocabulary, this is a meaningful gift from the heart.
Max witnessed the violent loss of his mother at the hands of his father at the tender age of four. His trauma reveals itself in different ways: lashing out at school since pre-school, earning him the nickname "kicker", difficulty learning, nightmares, and being fearful of trusting or befriending anyone until "Freak" comes along.
Max suffered losing both his mother and his father to violence at a young age. He has been cared for by his grandparents who, too, are grieving the loss of their daughter. Kevin's father left when he was a baby apparently because of his medical issues and is raised by his single mother. However, together they form a loving and supportive family.