Friendships can change the outcome of a novel. Depending on who the main character sides with and who he befriends, it can change whether the character overcomes his obstacles or not. Friendship and love are when people care and help each other. Also it is when both help each other without their own intentions. In Roland Smith's Peak, Peak sees love and friendship as something helpful and caring, but when he is forced to go with his father and discovers that the people who are his, presumably his friends, are only helping him for the their special intention, he has to rely on loyalty and trust to find people who truly care and love him. Peak sees love and friendship as caring and helpful people. Peak's stepfather tries every chance he can to help him avoid punishment for climbing a building. His entire family cries when he has to leave the country as punishment. Peak says, “He [Peak's stepfather] looked at mom and the twins and for the first time I saw tears in his eyes. 'We will miss you'” (Smith 30). Peak has never seen his stepfather as someone he loves, not until he sees him crying and sad because Peak has to leave. Peak now sees love as people who care about him and love him. Now he begins to care and love his stepfather, like a real father. How Peak views friendship is very important because it defines who he thinks are his friends and who loves him. The obstacles Peak faces are punishment, betrayal, climbing Mount Everest, and people helping him for their own purposes like his. father. Peak must overcome the obstacle of serving time for climbing a skyscraper. The phrase was something along the lines of him… middle of paper… we are great friends and a family that cares and helps each other. Peak had to face climbing Mount Everest, his selfish father, and other people trying to get rid of him to finally know who his friends and family really are, and that friends are those who are caring and helpful without being earn something. Peak understands that his stepfather cares and loves him more than his real father. Peak chose to help a friend rather than become famous, and his obstacles, especially Mount Everest, brought out people's true intentions. Without friendship and love you could not overcome obstacles. You wouldn't know who to trust. You need friendship and love to help and be helped by people, and you need friends and family to spend happy times with and get through bad times. Works Cited Smith, Roland. Peak. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Children's, 2007. Print.