Summary of the chapter Chapter 6 details the author’s trip with Becky that starts at Austin, Texas. The author wants to interact with people who are sidelined by society because of their disabilities. Therefore, they visit several places that are havens for freaks. For instance, they make a stopover at Elvis’s house, the Museum of Wonder , and Gibsonton, which is a freak-show retirement community (Mooney, 2007). The author has a liking for Gibsonton because it is full of freaks whose lifestyles make him feel comfortable and dispel the feeling of inferiority as a result of his disability. He describes some of the towns they saw on the way to Houston from Austin, some of which are inhabited by African Americas of low socioeconomic status. In the chapter, the author also discusses in detail his experience with a learning disability, which subjected him to numerous challenges during his childhood. He reminisces after visiting Margaret’s Grocery, which reminds him of his childhood and brings back painful memories. The main goal of the trip was to feel like a freak, so he visited several places that validated their presumed identity. He describes his visit to Elvis’s house in Graceland. The house is filled with different costumes and paraphernalia that present Elvis as a freak. Afterwards, they visit the Museum of Wonder , which is an example of how disabled people overcome their challenges to attain success. The museum is run by Butch who has a learning disability. As a child, he found it difficult to read. However, he was offered an opportunity to study zoology at Auburn University (Mooney, 2007). Unfortunately, he did not complete his degree. Butch takes him and Becky on a tour of the museum. They are mesmerized by how perfectly the house is built, the eclectic collection of art and objects, and the telepathic chicken (Mooney, 2007). After leaving the museum, they travelled to Gibsonton, Florida, the last stop that they make in the trip. A waitress at a bar they visit gives the author directions to a social club where the performers of freak shows met regularly. After visiting the club, the author realizes that freak shows had been dead for many years and there were no freaks to be found in Gibsonton anymore. The chapter concludes as he says good bye to Becky who is headed to New York. His next stop is Richmond, Virginia, where he is set to interview a blind and deaf eight-year old girl named Ashley. The challenges the author of the chapter faced The author’s challenges as a child are revealed during a visit to Margaret’s Grocery. The grocery made him feel out of control and reminded him of his childhood. As a dyslexic child, the author faced many challenges. He faced the challenge of feeling out of control in many situations and the need to act violently in order to disguise his pain. Dyslexia made it hard for him to understand the world and gain reading proficiency. The nausea of confusion and deep fear always overcame him because he was afraid that he would be kicked out of school for poor performance (Mooney, 2007). He became aggressive toward himself and others as a way of coping with his pain. The chapter discusses how he unsuccessfully tried to manipulate various outcomes in his life. His brutality d