Defining Strengths

Let’s face it. In life, we all face challenges at some point or another.  Whether it’s not fitting in, lacking self-esteem or even losing a loved one, life can throw us a curveball.  This is exactly what Maxwell Kane is facing in Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick.  Lucky for him, he learns not to let his challenges define who he is.

In this book, Max, a large, lonely middle school boy, struggles to fit in at school and at home.  One day, Kevin Dillon, an extremely intelligent and handicapped boy known as “Freak,” moves in next door, and they develop a most unique friendship.  Together they complete quests and roam the halls at school as “Freak the Mighty.”  Unfortunately, Max still faces other obstacles like the town’s bullies, his criminal father, and Freak’s own health.

One of the important lessons that Max learns from Freak is to let his strengths define who he is, not his challenges.  You see, Freak suffers from Morquio Syndrome, a rare birth defect where the insides of a body grow faster than the outside.  As a result, Freak cannot walk properly. Instead of letting this determine who he is, he still is an active, vociferous, and bright kid. One night when Freak and Max were watching fireworks, Max recalls, “when the fire blossoms are flashing blue, he goes, ‘Good old strontium nitrate!’ And I’m thinking whoa! Is there anything this dude doesn’t know?” (p.33) It’s clear that he lets his intelligence shine through in everything he does.

Very often authors use objects in stories to represent ideas. In this story, Philbrick uses Freak’s dictionary to symbolize his intelligence.  Freak is mad about words.  He loves them so much, he makes a dictionary of his favorite words.  It’s no surprise that for Christmas he wraps it up and gives it to Max.  In doing so, he shows Max that it’s important to be proud of his strengths.  Max takes that lesson to heart as by the end of the book he becomes the sensitive and caring kid he was all along. 

Simply put, Freak teaches Max to define who he is in terms of his strengths instead of his challenges. He is a much stronger person as a result.  So the next time you face a challenge in life, be like Max.  After all, by relying on our strengths, we’ll be able to overcome any challenge no matter what.