Max: A Very Complex Character

Character Question: Does the character develop new traits? 

In the book Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, Max Kane changes from the beginning of the book to the end of the book. In the opening chapters Max is uncertain of who he is and fearful that people will judge him by what his father is. His father, known by the name “Killer Kane” is big and tough; and killed his own wife. Now, Max has to live with what his father left behind. When people used to tease him, he dealt with it the way his father did, by hurting people. But now, he realizes that is wrong to do and rather than fighting, he pretends to be invisible.

When he meets a fellow outsider named Freak, they soon become friends. Freak is the exact opposite of Max physically and mentally. Freak is two feet tall and Max is seven feet tall, Freak loves to study and Max hates school. But despite these differences, Max is drawn to Freak’s natural genius and passion for learning; his curiosity grows and he begins to ask questions. Soon Max requests to leave the Learning Disabled class in order to be with Freak in the advanced placement class. For years Max never wanted to learn but now he is eager to discover new thoughts and ideas. 

Max gains confidence in himself and realizes that he doesn’t have to be like his dad. He believes he can be a better person and do nice things. One example of this is when he sees a gang steal a purse from an old lady. Once they realize that there is nothing in it, they put it down a drain on the street. In the middle of the night, Max and Freak get it from the drain and return it to the owner.   

Reading this book a second time, I discovered that Max is a very complex character. I can relate to Max though school work. A lot of times I don’t have self confidence that I am capable of doing the work expected. In science class, I freaked out because I thought I didn’t know anything but really, I didn’t try. I also needed to study and believe that I could do it. I think it’s the same for Max too. After he gets introduced to Freak, he gets confident and believes in himself. He notices that he does care about school and wants people to like him. I think that Max will grow up to be a very nice and respectable person, and live a much more fulfilling life than his dad.