How does Max demonstrate courage in Chapter Eight of Freak the Mighty?
In chapter 8 of Freak the Mighty, Max describes how Kevin's presence dramatically changes his summer. Kevin challenges Max to leave his comfort zone by exploring the neighborhood with him. Kevin is an imaginative boy, who refers to their adventures throughout the neighborhood as "quests." During a conversation between the two friends, Kevin mentions that dragons do not actually exist and are simply an archetype for fear of the natural world. When Max says that he does not know what archetype means, Kevin opens his dictionary and encourages Max to look up the word. Because Max has a reading disability, looking up words in the dictionary is difficult and embarrassing for him. However, Max demonstrates courage by facing his fear of reading and looking up the word 'archetype' in front of Kevin. He does not let his feelings of uncertainty and anxiety prevent him from finding and reading the...
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definition of the word.
I think that one way that Max shows courage is in his "rescuing" of Kevin. He does not shy away from helping his friend and even though he is simply following what Kevin says, in the end, the action of rescuing Kevin is what others point to in their praise of Max. This is the most elemental way in which courage is shown in chapter 8.
I would also suggest that courage is shown in how Max does not shy away from Kevin. As Kevin keeps on talking of Arthurian legends and "archetypes," Max does not flinch from this. He does not retreat into an inward shell when it is evident that Max is brighter than him and using terms and concepts he does not get. In short, he has the courage to allow a friendship to exist despite the intellectual differences between them. This shows courage because it shows Max taking a chance and a risk. It is in this light where Max shows courage. He does not let frustration and difference insulate him and cut him off from another human being. Rather, he is able to have the emotional courage to bridge difference and forget friendship with one who is so different than himself.
In Chapter 13 of Freak the Mighty, how is Max selfless?
At the beginning of the chapter, Max receives accolades from his reading tutor and his teacher, who finally begin to recognize that Max is capable of understanding the material in class; he is just shy in front of other students. Max gives the credit to Kevin for helping him. When he is called to the principal's office, Max goes "nuts" when Mrs. Addison attempts to relay some information about his father's parole hearing. Max "blanked out or something," and he finds himself huddled in a corner, while Mrs. Addison is crying. Max is more upset about what he may have done to the principal than the news about his father. He worries that he may have harmed her, though the principal assures him that "I cry easy, don't you worry about it."
I do worry about it, though, because if she's crying, I must have hit her and I don't remember it.
Later, in the lunchroom, Max enjoys watching Kevin eat his favorite food--American chop suey. But when Kevin begins choking on it, Max calls a nurse and then begins "hopping up and down in one place," at the same time keeping the curious children away from crowding Kevin. Max is only thinking of Kevin and not himself. When the color comes back into Kevin's face, Max tries repeatedly to get into the ambulance that takes him to the hospital. When the principal tries to calm Max with "You've had quite a day, haven't you?", Max replies,
"It's not me who had quite a day," I say. "Kevin is the one. All he did was try and eat his lunch."
Mrs. Addison gives me this look, and then she goes, "You're going to be okay now, Maxwell Kane. I'm sure of it now."