Literary Terms/Freak the Mighty

INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION: Max writes, "...for a long time it was Freak who did the talking. Except, I had a way of saying things with my fists and my feet even before we became Freak the Mighty..." Based on Max's connotation in describing himself, how does he characterize himself?

• Max's characterization of himself is he's very passive, quiet, and well-behaved.

• Max's characterization of himself is he's combative and a fighter.

• Max's characterization of himself is he's extremely intelligent with a high I.Q.

What literary device is used in the underlined portion of this passage? "Gram is uneasy, I can see her eyes flitting nervously around my bedroom, like she's crossing the border into a really foreign country.

• alliteration

• simile

• onmatopoeia

Leading or major character in a story or novel.

• antagonist

• protagonist

• secondary character

• flat character

Max writes: "Freak is shaking his head. I can see he's trying not to let on that he's laughing inside. "Guinevere," he finally says, catching his breath. "The Fair Guinevere, from the legend of King Arthur. You know about King Arthur, right?" What's the sobriquet (nickname) or play-on-words for Freak's mom's name?

• Freak is saying his mom was named after King Arthur's queen wife, "Guinevere," hence the name "Gwen of Aire"

• Freak is saying he refers to his mom as "Gwen of Aire" based upon his reading of the Tales of King Arthur.

Max is looking at the clouds. He writes: "It just sort of happens, and suddenly you realize the cloud that looks like a big hand with fat fingers now looks like a catcher's mitt, or a big soft TV set? Like that. What literary device has Max used in his writing.

• simile

• onomatopoeia

• alliteration

INFER THE MEANING OF THIS PASSAGE. Max writes, "Grim out in the kitchen one night, after supper whispering to Gram had she noticed how much Maxwell was getting to look like Him? Which is the way he always talked about my father, who had married his dear departed daughter and produced, eek eek, Maxwell. Grim never says my father's name, just Him, like his name is too scary to say."

• Max's grandparents and his father are on very good terms.

• Max's grandparents seem to be growing leery of his because he's growing up to look like his father.

• Max's grandparents are very proud of their grandson and his father.

Max writes: "This was day care, the year Gram and Grim took me over and I had a thing about booting anyone who dared to touch me." Where is alliteration used?

• "This was day care,"

• "the year Gram and Grim took me over"

• "and I had a thing about booting anyone"

Infer this passage. Max has just returned from Freak's (aka Kevin's) house after hot dogs for dinner for the first time. They ate and laughed. Max writes, "It's time to go home, Gram gets nervous if I'm -not back before dark. Everything seems really great, just like Gwen says, except when I lie down on my bed it hits me, boom, and I'm crying like a baby. And the really weird thing is, I'm happy." Infer why Max would be crying?

• Max is crying because Gwen doesn't like his father who is in prison.

• Max is crying because he was late getting home and Grim and Gram were mad.

• Max is crying because he felt welcomed there and he found a friend in Kevin. Both boys have struggled in school and friendships.

In Freak the Mighty, Max writes: "I never had a brain until freak came along..." Based on this contextual evidence, what point-of-view is Freak the Mighty written from?

• first person point-of-view/perspective

• second person point-of-view/perspective

• third person point-of-view/perspective

DIRECT Characterization: How is Tony D characterized in this passage by Max? "I know that voice. Tony D., they call him Blade, he's at least seventeen and.he's already been to juvy court three, four times. I heard he cut a guy with a razor, he almost died, and everybody says the best way to handle Tony D. and his gang is, you avoid them. Cross the street, hide, whatever it takes.

• Tony D. is directly characterized as a stellar of the community and a nice person.

• Tony D. and his gang are considered dangerous and have hurt people in the past. He's a little like Dally in The Outsiders!

• Tony D., was Max's best friend, but he's jealous of Freak (Kevin).