Freak the Mighty and “Ability” Extended Response Essay

Believing in one’s self is common, and it thrives throughout the novel, Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick, and the poem, â€Å"Ability,† by Selina E. Matis. There are several lines in the poem, â€Å"Ability,† that relate to the novel, Freak the Mighty. For example, one of the lines in the poem was, â€Å"Ability is to look at a blank page, and create a poem.† An example from Freak the Mighty that relates to that line is that Max didn’t know how to write, even when Freak gave him the empty book. However, in the end, Max ended up writing a whole book. Another line from the poem was, â€Å"For many, ability is never found, but for all, ability is within.† The way this line relates to, Freak the Mighty, is that Max was able to read and write all along, he just had to take a chance and try, and also, not be lazy. One more line from the poem, â€Å"Ability,† is, â€Å"Ability is to stare into the eyes of fear, and come out stronger because of it.† The way that this line relates to, Freak the Mighty, is that when Max’s father, Killer Kane, was choking him, Max fought back. This also shows that, â€Å"what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.† As one can see, throughout the novel, Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick, and the poem, â€Å"Ability,† by Selina E. Matis, they both had many similarities. Both the novel and the poem showed believing in yourself.