Freakboy Theme

Freakboy By Kristin Clark

Brendan Chase is the ideal image of a popular high school boy.He aces all his classes, manages wrestling, school, and devotes time to his girlfriend Vanessa.As his highschool years go by he begins to find out who really is.Throughout the book, Brendan struggles with the desires to be a girl.He soon begins to have internal and external conflicts about whether he should ignore or embrace this feeling.As time passes he begins to question if the transgendered label even fits him, until he meets Angel. Angel is a transgender who reveals her own painful journey of physical abuse to Brendan. As Angel is fighting off her demons she is showing Brendan that there is hope.Meanwhile,
He always had the feeling that he was in the wrong body and the problem got worse as he went into his teenage years.(204) “Still a shadow lurks at the end of my head whispering, You like girls too much and not in the same way everyone else does”.As the feelings got stronger he began to go into denial.Everyone realised a change that had occurred in him, but he denied the fact that he felt this way.Brendan wanted to tell people, but deep down he was scared.(05) “I'm a freak Boy and there will never be a place for me anywhere.”Brendan had internal conflicts over whether he should be a male or female.It all came down to acceptance and he did not want to accept the fact that he wasnt happy the way he was. (XX) “My junk doesn't dictate who I am” Near the end of the book,Brendan continues to tell himself that his physical appearance doesn't matter.However, deep down he continues to battle the voices in his head that causes him to question it
I hate Coach Childers.He calls me Brenda.” This external conflict between Brendan and Coach Childers causes him to be on the edge.He is constantly put down by the coach and that only hurts his self esteem more.(XX) “Just don't trust me to be who I say I am.I lie”. Brendan lied to others about what was really going on within.Being judged was one of his biggest fears.He would tell people he was Brendan Chase, but inside he felt he wasn't.(400) “Julie, Tanya and I had always coordinated costumes.When we were younger, the three little pigs and then the three bears...And I'm not telling her I already bought my costume: oh la la French Maid. Julie rolls her eyes”. Brendan also had an external conflict with his girlfriend, Vanessa.She would constantly push her friends away to spend time with him as much as she could, but all he wanted was space.Vanessa tried to do everything she could to maintain a healthy relationship, but they never seemed to meet eye to eye anymore. All of these external conflicts helped shape him as a character throughout the book and forced him to