my dear, not lies. Lies are mean things, and tales are meant to entertain.'"

It's worthwhile to consider what the characters call each other, because that reveals a lot about what kind of people they are. For example, Max calls his best friend by his nickname, Freak, though Freak's mother calls him by his real name, Kevin. This helps us understand that Freak's mother wants to see Kevin as someone normal and respectable, while Max accepts Freak for the unusual personality he's cultivated for himself.

Getting back to Gram and Grim, then, the fact that Grim calls Gram "my dear" shows that he really is a tender-hearted man, despite how reluctant he usually is to show it. And further, the fact that Grim usually calls Max by his name, even by his full name "Maxwell," shows that Max's relationship with his grandfather is a bit stiff and formal--but then on a rare occasion, Grim called Max "son," which made Max feel surprised and happy because of how affectionate his grandfather was being.

In chapter one of Philbrick's Freak the Mighty, Maxwell describes his past in daycare and his current pubescent life with Grim and Gram. Back in daycare, when he was about four years old, Max had issues with people trying to hug him. Max's solution to this problem was to kick everyone. With humor, Max says the following:

"I invented games like kick-boxing and kick-knees and kick-faces and kick-teachers and kick-the-other-little-day-care-critters" (1-2).

That might be somewhat normal for young kids as they are going through phases and learning how to get along with others, but because Max's dad is "Killer Kane," Grim and Gram wondered if he would turn out like his father.

Now that he is twelve and physically large compared to kids his age, he is also starting to look more like his father, which scares Grim a little bit. Max even overhears Grim talking to Gram about him and his father in the kitchen one night.

"Grim says that night in the kitchen, the boy is like him, we'd better watch out, you never know what he might do while we're sleeping. Like his father did. And Gram right away shushes him and says don't ever say that. . ." (3-4).

Therefore, Grim and Gram are nervous that Max might do something bad because he was a holy terror in daycare, and now that he's bigger and looking more like his father, they worry that he will do bad things like his father did. This is a perfect example of stereotyping, and worst of all, it's about their own grandson who hasn't grown up with his father to even learn his ways. But, as a literary device, this helps to create mystery and suspense in an effort to build the setting and characterization of the story.

In chapter seven of Philbrick's Freak the Mighty, Kevin and Max go to the Fourth of July celebration in town. Since Max has to carry Kevin on his shoulders, he's in full control of where they go and how fast. When Max sees Tony D. and his gang, he takes off as fast as he can. Tony and his gang chase Max and Kevin, and eventually surround them within the crowd. In effort to save themselves, Max runs straight into the pond, which happens to be mostly mud. Max is big enough to wade out farther than Tony can without getting stuck up to his neck in mud. Just when they think they are safe, Tony tells the gang of boys to start throwing rocks at Max and Kevin out in the pond. By this time Max is stuck in the mud as well and can't dodge the rocks. Fortunately, Kevin sees a cop car and whistles very loudly to get the cop's attention. It works, and the cops come over to settle the situation. 

In chapter eight, the cops bring Max home and Grim hoses him off in the front yard. Max says the following:

". . . the cops made out like I was a hero or something, rescuing the poor crippled midget kid. So Grim listens to the cops and then he gives me this weird look, like, imagine my surprise, and he goes in the house. . ." (41).

To celebrate Max's heroism, Gram gives him ice-cream and Grim gives him coffee. They talk about Tony D. and Max's strategy to always run when he sees the kid. Grim calls it "taking evasive action," not running away (43). By the end of the night, it seems as if Max has not only gained more trust with his grandparents, but he has bonded with them as well. This is significant because Max knows that they worry about him growing up to be like his father, Killer Kane. The more trust and bonds they can form between each other, the better their family life will be.

Grim and Gram are Max's grandparents. Max keeps them a bit distant from us as readers during the novel (hence the general "Grim and Gram" instead of proper names), but he also lets us in on some important differences and similarities. 

One similarity is that both Grim and Gram care for Max and want the best for him. We know this not only because of their reactions to Max but also because of the simple fact that they are his willing guardians as Max grows up. Grim even builds Max a special spot “down under” in the basement where Max can be alone to read his comic books. We also know that both Grim and Gram are afraid of Max’s father, Kenny “Killer” Kane, because they often talk about any Kane information as being “too scary to say.”

There are differences between Grim and Gram that often correspond to traditional gender roles of their generation. Gram is more of a worrier and, as such, continually requests that Max stop any contact with people like Tony D, the leader of the gang of thugs. Grim lets his male pride for Max override worry for his grandson. This is especially noted when Grim calls Max “son” for the first time after Max is hailed as a hero by the police for saving Kevin from the gang.