Common themes often presented in tales of the Middle Ages still make an appearance in films and literature that are popular in our society today. The book The Kindness of Strangers, written by Katrina Kittle, and the film King Kong, directed by Peter Jackson, are two examples that portray many known characteristics of King Arthur's time, such as honor, chivalry, loyalty, and courage . The legend of King Arthur revolves around the Knights' Code of Chivalry. While there was no official code of chivalry, there were a multitude of well-known ideals that all knights were expected to represent. It was a moral system that introduced certain idealized qualities outside of battle: qualities such as courage, courtesy, loyalty, honor, honesty, gallantry towards women, valor, truth and justice ("Knights' Code of Chivalry"). These traits have been described in the Code through the following examples, which include protecting the weak and defenseless, living in honor and for glory, striving for the welfare of all, avoiding injustice, meanness and deceit, maintaining faith and respect the honor of women (“Knights' Code of Chivalry”). The examples given are always present in the literary work The Kindness of Strangers and in the film King Kong. The Kindness of Strangers is a gripping tale of the struggle a ten-year-old faces and how one family's courage alters the rest. of his life. Jordan Kendrick is considered a "strange" child, without friends, but with exceptional grades. His parents, Mark and Courtney, are a respected and well-liked couple in the community, so it's hard to believe when Jordan tries to commit suicide and his parents are wanted for hosting a child pornography and incest ring. Courtney's best friend... middle of paper.... Ann also tried to protect Kong by proving that he wasn't actually the monster he seemed. The Kindness of Strangers and King Kong, while very different, both represent the morals and qualities idealized by the Knights' Code of Chivalry, such as honor, loyalty, chivalry, and courage. These works reflect medieval ideas in this modern society to demonstrate that these themes are as important then as they are today. Works Cited King Kong. Dir. Pietro Jackson. DVD. Universal Studios, 2005.Kittle, Katrina. The kindness of strangers. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. Knights' Code of Chivalry. May 23, 2010 .Lofton, Marie Hashima. The kindness of strangers review. May 20, 2010. “Synopsis”. King Kong 2005. May 23 2010 .