Free Example of Literary Analysis Essay on Freak the Mighty Essay

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

Freak the Mighty is a novel written by Rodman Philbrick. The book is about the weird and astonishing adventures of two kids, Maxwell and Kevin. They are a pair of odd outsiders who combine their abilities to become ‘freak the mighty’. Kevin is a brilliant kid but disadvantaged with defects that prevent him from walking properly. Kevin was born with these defects. On the other hand, Max is gigantic. However, Max is so scared of life, and he feels worthless despite his look... Max is the angry kid who is nicknamed kicker. He used to bully other boys by kicking them around. Kevin’s nickname is a robot, because of leg braces. The novel tells the story of one crucial moment in the boys’ lives.

The story follows through their return to school and Max’s kidnapping, though they are finally rescued. Their happiness is spoiled by the change in Kevin’s health. He is getting worse and finally dies. This brings to the end the formidable force of freak the mighty. Max has to gain courage and face the world without his dear friend.

In the book, Max and Kevin go on a quest in the night to look for treasure. Kevin advises his friend Max to leave at three o’clock in the morning wearing black attires for camouflage. They find an old purse that was dropped there by Blade. The purse belongs to Loretta Lee. Boys manage to give back the purse successfully.

The legend of the Holy Grail is about a historical event. The aim of King Arthur was the search of the magical vessel. He uses his Knights to find it. The magical Holy Grail has extraordinary properties (Peter, 1998). Whoever eats or drink from it has his need satisfied. Sir Galahad was King Arthur’s brave Knight who is determined to locate the Holy Grail. According to legend, the vessel is hidden in the Holy Castle, Carbonek. The most beautiful and enchanting spirits who are immensely powerful guarded it. Nobody could enter the spirits’ residence. Two of Arthur’s men reach the castle. Sir Galahad later arrives with his men to Carbonek. He drinks from the cup. As a result, Galahad dies. The vessel becomes the reason for the death of the most powerful Knight. The quest for the Holy Grail is a tough mission for King Arthur. He loses many of his Knights during that trip.

In both stories, the main heroes have the mission. In the quest for the Holy Grail and Freak the Mighty there are weak characters that help the main heroes complete their assignments. In the quest for the Holy Grail, the Knight who reaches the Castle is killed. The only person who is alive is Sir Galahad. He captures the Holy Grail. However, in the quest for the Holy Grail, the knights have to go through various difficulties in order to complete their mission. On the other hand, Max and Kevin do not encounter any obstacle in their mission to get the purse.

There is a chronological flow of events in both stories. In Freak the Mighty, it is the death of the main character that brings the transformation. The same happens to the champion in the quest for the Holy Grail. Kevin, in the Freak of the Mighty, dies because of illness. Galahad also dies but not because of sickness. This shows that they do not die in the same way. Kevin is brought out as smart though he is not courageous. He could think faster and help his giant friend get out of a tricky and dangerous situation. However, Galahad is brave. He is able to lead the Knights to capture the Holy Grail.

Comparison to the Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is the narration about Ponyboy and Johnny. The book is about the rivalry that exists between two groups of teenagers. One group is called Greasers whose members are mainly lower-class teens. They always have to watch their backs. Ponyboy and Johnny belong to this group. The other group is Socs. It consists of rich teens who and could get away with everything. Johnny and Ponyboy are friends. One day, Johnny kills a Soc and they have to run away to hide. Later, Johnny dies in the hospital after an accident on the church building. Another friend dies due to disagreements between a Soc and a Greaser. In the end, Ponyboy feels pain and learns his lesson - everybody feels pain whether a Soc or a Greaser.

Both boys Kevin from Freak the Mighty and Johnny from the Outsiders die. However, their deaths are different. Kevin dies from weakness in his leg that he has encountered from childbirth. It gets worse and he dies. On the other hand, Johnny dies due to an injury. He gets it while trying to help a group of children who were trapped in a burning church (Rodman, 1993). Tragedies befall Johnny from The Outsiders and Max from Freak the Mighty. Max dies because of bad health while Johnny dies in an accident.

The main characters have success during their lives. Kevin creates a formidable group. Together they conquer many situations, Max. Johnny and Ponyboy are good friends who defeat every challenge that comes in their ways. In general, two books have similar events. Kevin who is the main character in Freak the Mighty dies, as well as Johnny. Another similarity is that Max has to learn a hard lesson after the death of his friend. He must become strong and face life with courage on his own. Ponyboy also has a lesson to learn after the death of his friend. The rivalry between Socs and Greasers costs Ponyboy two of his friends. He learns that everybody feels pain.

Conclusion

Two books have similar themes like the death of characters that signifies the beginning of another phase in their lives. Boys get a hard lesson. The themes of Freak the Mighty and The Outsiders are connected.