Student Question

In Freak the Mighty, how does Max's behavior change between his first and second meeting with Iggy?

Quick answer:

Max's behavior changes from fear to cautious observation between his first and second meeting with Iggy. Initially, Max is intimidated by Iggy's aggressive demeanor when he and Kevin return Loretta's wallet. However, during the second encounter, after being kidnapped by his father, Max observes Iggy's nervous compliance with Killer Kane's demands. Iggy's fear of Kane shifts the dynamic, making Max more aware of the power his father holds over others.

Expert Answers

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The first time Max meets Iggy is in chapter 11 when he and Kevin return Loretta's wallet to her. When Loretta first sees the boys, one very large and the other small, she calls to Iggy to come see the circus that's in town. When Iggy shows up, Max sees a big hairy guy and says they must have gotten the wrong house because he's afraid. Loretta and Iggy continue to mock and laugh as the boys explain how they found her wallet and want to return it. Iggy forces the boys to enter the home and asks their names because Loretta says Max looks familiar. Iggy is behaving very aggressively with the boys until Loretta realizes Max is Killer Kane's boy. Then he is all in favor of finishing the interview because he doesn't want Killer Kane figuring out he messed with his son. 

The next time Max meets Iggy is in chapter 16 after he's been kidnapped from his grandparents' house by his father. Killer Kane takes him straight to Iggy's. Once there, Iggy behaves like a paranoid criminal by frantically locking all the doors and closing all the curtains. He's tense and willing to do anything that Killer Kane says because this time, Iggy's scared. Max is scared, too, but Iggy is completely different from the first time Max met him because he knows that Killer Kane is the boss, now. Iggy has been asked by Killer Kane to help him escape with his boy and Iggy is too scared to say no. In fact, it seems as if Iggy just wants to help Kane on his way so he can avoid being put in jail. 

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