The definition of friendship is determined by the participants and the context in which it takes place, and the impact of this relationship depends on what can be offered by each individual. This statement will be explored in four texts; two films titled Stand By Me directed by Rob Reiner and Men In Black directed by Barry Sonnenfield, and two novels titled Walking Naked by Alyssa Brugman and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Many different friendships are presented in these texts, so similarities and differences will be compared to come to a conclusion about the nature of friendship. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Stand By Me chronicles the friendship between Gordy and Chris, eleven-year-old boys who grow up together in a small town in the 1960s. The two boys seem to be very different from each other: Gordy is quiet, sensitive and thoughtful while Chris is the leader of the group and is seen as a "tough guy". As the film progresses, Chris gradually reveals his true feelings to Gordy and Gordy sees Chris as the only person he can count on. They share an intimate and unique bond through mutual trust and loyalty. Chris always cares for Gordy and expresses this when he says, "If your parents are too messed up to take care of you, maybe I should." The characters' different visions of life allow them to offer something important to the friendship. Gordy looks ahead despondently, so Chris tries to convince him of his wonderful opportunities, and when Chris communicates the limited future he believes he has, Gordy gives him hope because he thinks Chris has a chance to establish a good career. In one conversation conflicting views are shown when Chris exclaims to Gordy, "You're an asshole if your friends drag you down!" This friendship impacts both individuals because they fulfill their mutual expectations. The circumstances in this film strengthen the relationship between Gordy and Chris as the characters have experiences together during the journey - one of these events is the climax of the film. When the other two boys abandon Chris, Gordy is the only one who stands by him: this is shown through medium shots of the boys as a united force and emphasized in the film's title and theme song. Unlike the other texts, the friendship in Stand By Me began before the events of the story, allowing a more complex relationship to develop and reach a greater level of intensity. In comparison, the friendship between Agents K and J in Men In Black begins with the action of the film so it doesn't have as much opportunity to reach the intensity of the previously mentioned friendship. The relationship between K and J begins with K in the role of mentor and J as his student. These two characters are very different: K as the older agent is calm, collected and knowledgeable, however J as the new recruit is enthusiastic, fiery and overly confident. A good example of their opposite characteristics is the scene where an alien escapes in a taxi and J recklessly gives chase on foot. When he realizes there is no hope of catching the alien, K pulls up next to him in the car. K had the foresight and experience to know that this was the only realistic option. The different qualities of K and J mean that the friendship has an impact on both parties. K becomes more open and shows his emotional side, and J matures, becoming less arrogant and more trustworthy. Although the characters start out as just colleagues, they begin to trust each other and form a friendship. J first sees K's vulnerability when he discovers that K misses his wife who he had to leave for the MiB agency. J comments: “LaThe grumpy boy's story is starting to take shape here." The close-ups used for this shot show K's sad face, revealing his desire to see his wife. The proof of their friendship comes when K deliberately gets eaten by an alien to recover the swallowed gun and tells J not to allow the alien to leave Earth. J risks his life, selflessly following his partner's instructions to save him. At the end of the film J reveals his dependence on K when the agent no longer senior makes it known that he is retiring and J exclaims "I can't do this job alone!" He finally showed his weakness and dependence on his friend. Their differences allowed them to give each other something precious, instead of destroying them differences between the individuals in Walking Naked have a more tragic outcome. This friendship is based on Megan and Perdita, two teenage girls from the same school but from very different backgrounds. Megan has a good family life and is the leader of the school group, while Perdita is part of an unhappy family and is the "most despised creature in the whole school": the girls have completely opposite points of view and characteristics. Through a fortuitous circumstance while incarcerated, they find themselves developing an inspiring and unconventional friendship. The main obstacle that the couple tries to overcome (but fails to do so) in this relationship is to accept each other's weaknesses and, despite this, remain friends. In the same way that Megan fails to understand that pride is Perdita's weakness, Perdita does not accept that Megan is vulnerable to other people's opinions of her. This flaw is tragically put on display when their friendship is tested and Megan fails. First-person narration and hindsight are used to show Megan's feelings: "I betrayed the only friend I ever had, in the most public and unforgivable way." The impact each participant feels as a result of the friendship is considerable - after Megan rejects her, Perdita commits suicide, an action that has a devastating and ultimately liberating effect on Megan. At the end of the novel, Megan refers to one of the many poems used earlier in the text, stating that she too "learned the feat by walking naked" showing the effect that Perdita's uncompromising nature had on her. This friendship is vastly different from Gordy's. and Chris or K and J's relationships. Gordy and Chris' friendship is built on intimacy and trust, while K and J's is the result of camaraderie and respect. However, Megan and Perdita in Walking Naked have a less ideal relationship where circumstances do not allow them to form a powerful and lasting bond. Another friendship interrupted by unforeseen circumstances is the relationship between Nick and Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. These characters are also very different from each other, as in the other texts, allowing each of them to bring something distinct to the relationship. Nick is conservative, a creature of habit and a realist, while Gatsby is a romantic, a schemer and a dreamer – everything Nick is drawn to in his search for adventure. Nick is also attracted to Gatsby's charisma; he says that Gatsby's smile "understood you as far as you want to be understood." While Nick is deeply involved and sympathizes with Gatsby's actions throughout the text, Gatsby is preoccupied in his pursuit of Daisy. The tea at Nick's cottage is an example of this: Gatsby is using Nick as a path through which he can meet Daisy again, however, Nick sincerely connects to Gatsby in his nervous and exposed state as he "waited... at a pace inconceivable" intensity." Nick detects Gatsby's vulnerabilities, making the friendship uneven, somewhat similar to Megan and Perdita. Despite this, Gatsby confides.