The Lightning Thief

“I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile. My mom doesn't like to talk about him because it makes her sad. She has no pictures.” 

While at the beach with his mother, Percy asks her about his father and, as always, gets little information. Percy’s mother has her secrets, and her unwillingness to discuss Poseidon shows how parents keep secrets from their children, especially when they believe keeping those secrets protects them. The lack of pictures of Poseidon implies two things. First, it’s possible gods cannot be captured on camera. Second, Percy’s mother kept no likeness of Poseidon because she wanted to live her life independently, and a god could offer her too much that would keep her life from being her own.

“Lightning. That was the only explanation. We'd been blasted right off the road. Next to me in the backseat was a big motionless lump. ‘Grover!’

He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to die!

Then he groaned ‘Food,’ and I knew there was hope.” 

These lines come while Percy, his mother, and Grover flee for Camp Half-Blood. The storm around them is Zeus venting his anger. The lightning finding its target represents how Percy’s fate is intertwined with the stolen bolt. This passage also shows how young Percy and Grover are. Though dangerous things hunt them, they are still kids. Grover loves food, shown by how he blurts “food” while half-conscious. Percy learned Grover was part goat shortly before this, and he accepted the news quickly—a testament to their friendship.

“I recoiled at the taste, because I was expecting apple juice. It wasn't that at all. It was chocolate-chip cookies. Liquid cookies. And not just any cookies—my mom's homemade blue chocolate-chip cookies, buttery and hot, with the chips still melting. Drinking it, my whole body felt warm and good, full of energy. My grief didn't go away, but I felt as if my mom had just brushed her hand against my cheek, given me a cookie the way she used to when I was small, and told me everything was going to be okay.” 

After his battle with the Minotaur in Chapter 4, Percy is unconscious for a few days. When he wakes, he feels weak. Drinking the nectar here revives him. The drink has this effect on demigods, and it tastes different to every person who drinks it, showing how the nectar’s effect is as much mental as physical. For Percy, the taste of his mother’s cookies gives him the emotional strength he needs to physically recover; an apple juice-flavored beverage might not have the same rejuvenating effect. The nectar’s taste gives Percy both strength and hope.

“‘Well, now,’ Chiron said. ‘God—capital G, God. That's a different matter altogether. We shan't deal with the metaphysical.’

‘Metaphysical? But you were just talking about—’

‘Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors: the immortal gods of Olympus. That's a smaller matter.’” 

Here, Chiron explores the difference between “God” (the singular divine being) and “gods” (the great beings of ancient Greece), showing how Riordan builds his world around modern religion. The Greek gods exist so long as people believe in them, and they move around based on where the center of civilization goes. They are beings who come among mortals, live in palaces atop Mount Olympus, and influence the course of events in the human world. God, by contrast, is the metaphysical—something beyond normal human senses. Unlike the gods, God does not interact with or influence human affairs.

“Finally, he showed me the cabins. There were twelve of them, nestled in the woods by the lake. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And they were without doubt the most bizarre collection of buildings I'd ever seen.

Except for the fact that each had a large brass number above the door (odds on the left side, evens on the right), they looked absolutely nothing alike. Number nine had smokestacks, like a tiny factory. Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass. Seven seemed to be made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight it was almost impossible to look at.” 

Each cabin at Camp Half-Blood stands for one of the 12 Olympian gods and houses the children of that god, much like how campers at a human camp are divided into cabins or club houses. Here, we see how each cabin represents what each god controls. Only the Olympian gods are represented, which implies that minor gods and goddesses either don’t procreate with humans or that their children are not powerful enough to attract monsters. Thus, there is no need for them to train and learn to protect themselves.

“I thought about some of the kids I'd seen in the Hermes cabin, teenagers who looked sullen and depressed, as if they were waiting for a call that would never come. I'd known kids like that at Yancy Academy, shuffled off to boarding school by rich parents who didn't have the time to deal with them. But gods should behave better.” 

This passage comes before Poseidon claims Percy as his son. Annabeth explains how some campers never learn who their godly parent is. Percy’s past experience with boarding school shows how human and demigod kids are the same: They just want to be acknowledged and loved by their parents, and when they aren’t, they can wind up acting out. Percy’s observation that gods should behave better shows how humans believe powerful beings are infallible. Just because gods are immortal doesn’t mean they are “good” or that they always make good choices. Living longer doesn’t make them more caring. The gods are not perfect, and this is the springboard idea behind Luke’s betrayal of the camp.

“About sixty years ago, after World War II, the Big Three agreed they wouldn't sire any more heroes. Their children were just too powerful. They were affecting the course of human events too much, causing too much carnage. World War II, you know, that was basically a fight between the sons of Zeus and Poseidon on one side, and the sons of Hades on the other. The winning side, Zeus and Poseidon, made Hades swear an oath with them: no more affairs with mortal women. They all swore on the River Styx.”

Riordan works the Greek gods into human history as part of the story’s worldbuilding. Here, we learn how one of the largest wars in history was a result of a godly feud. We also learn the origin for Percy being a “forbidden” child and the real-world consequences that led to Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades swearing to have no more children. While it is partly to protect humans, their decision is not completely altruistic. If all of humanity destroys itself, the gods cannot exist because there will be no one left to believe in them. The oath is as much to protect themselves as it is to prevent carnage on Earth, showing how every decision has multiple reasons behind it.

“The next morning, Chiron moved me to cabin three.

I didn't have to share with anybody. I had plenty of room for all my stuff: the Minotaur's horn, one set of spare clothes, and a toiletry bag. I got to sit at my own dinner table, pick all my own activities, call ‘lights out’ whenever I felt like it, and not listen to anybody else. And I was absolutely miserable.

Just when I'd started to feel accepted, to feel I had a home in cabin eleven and I might be a normal kid—or as normal as you can be when you're a half-blood—I'd been separated out as if I had some rare disease.” 

Up until this point, Percy believes finding out his father’s identity will solve his problems. He is wrong and finds himself alone and without allies because he is “forbidden.” After growing up with Gabe and being pushed around, Percy wants a family without strife. He finally believes he’s found one at camp, but it is ripped away from him. Instead of a family, the others shun Percy for something he has no control over, much as people do in real life. Racism, sexism, ageism, and similar prejudices are based on factors people cannot control. Like in the book, people want to find an easy target to blame for things going wrong. Though Percy isn’t responsible for the lightning bolt’s theft, he is “forbidden,” new to camp, and easily thought of as guilty, all aspects that make him the perfect scapegoat.

“The sword is celestial bronze. Forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe. It's deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they don't kill you first. But the blade will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply are not important enough for the blade to kill. And I should warn you: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable.” 

A few things happen in this passage from just before Percy sets off on his quest. Chiron explains Riptide’s origins and how powerful the weapon is. Mount Etna is said to be the location of Hephaestus forge, where the god of fire and forging made many great weapons for both gods and demigods. The River Lethe is located in the Underworld and translates to “oblivion.” Being a weapon from both places means Riptide will strike down any monster and send them to “oblivion” until they can reform. Being so powerful, the blade doesn’t recognize humans, mirroring how humans mean little to the gods. We also learn Percy is vulnerable to both monster and human threats. As a half-blood, he is literally half in each world (human and Greek)—just another way he doesn’t fit anywhere.

“Yes. Read The Iliad. It's full of references to the stuff. Whenever divine or monstrous elements mix with the mortal world, they generate Mist, which obscures the vision of humans. You will see things just as they are, being a Half-Blood, but humans will interpret things quite differently. Remarkable, really, the lengths to which humans will go to fit things into their version of reality.” 

In Riordan’s story world, the Iliad (an epic poem written by Homer) is history rather than myth. Chiron offers this wisdom to Percy before he leaves for the Underworld. Just as humans are not affected by Percy’s sword, they do not see the Greek world around them due to mist. While mist holds some kind of power, it also functions because of how humans think. People want to see things that make sense to their worldview, and so they allow mist to fool them. The same happens in real life, but instead of mist, people are inhibited by their own closed-mindedness and inability to accept new ideas.

“A strange breeze rustled through the clearing, temporarily overpowering the stink of trash and muck. It brought the smell of berries and wildflowers and clean rainwater, things that might've once been in these woods. Suddenly I was nostalgic for something I'd never known.” 

Before this description, Grover tells Percy about Pan (god of wild places) and how Pan disappeared thousands of years ago. Grover suggests human pollution drove the god away, destroying so much of nature that Pan couldn’t survive. The breeze here comes after Grover mentions Pan’s name, showing the power of names and implying Pan’s influence remains, even if the god himself is weakened. Gods exist because people believe in them. As the world becomes more polluted and nature takes a backseat to technology and expansion, the belief in wildlife and nature dwindles, shrinking Pan’s power. Pan shows what could happen to the other gods if they are no longer believed in.

“Annabeth kept worrying at her necklace. She was pinching the gold college ring that hung with the beads. It occurred to me that the ring must be her father's. I wondered why she wore it if she hated him so much.”

Annabeth tells Percy about her history with her family—how her father didn’t want her and blamed her for the danger she brought to his family. Still, she wears his ring on her necklace alongside the beads she received for surviving another year at camp. The necklace represents the two sides of Annabeth (and every demigod)—the mortal side and the godly side. It foreshadows how the two can never be fully parted and how Annabeth gives her family a second chance at the end of the book. The ring symbolizes the importance of family and the hope that her family will accept her. Even knowing her father resents her, Annabeth wants to believe he’ll change his mind and keeps the ring as a memory of good times from her past, as well as a symbol of hope for how things could be.

“Then I was looking through the mist at strawberry fields, and the Long Island Sound in the distance. We seemed to be on the porch of the Big House. Standing with his back to us at the railing was a sandy-haired guy in shorts and an orange tank top. He was holding a bronze sword and seemed to be staring intently at something down in the meadow.

‘Luke!’ I called.

He turned, eyes wide. I could swear he was standing three feet in front of me through a screen of mist, except I could only see the part of him that appeared in the rainbow.”

In Chapter 10, Chiron tells Percy demigods can’t use cell phones because they attract monsters. Here, we see the demigod alternative to phones: Ira messages (sent by the goddess of rainbows, Ira). The message is another way Riordan incorporates myth into modern life. The Ira message functions like a video call with a rainbow as the video screen.

“Ares laughed. ‘Are you kidding? I love this country. Best place since Sparta. Don't you carry a weapon, punk? You should. Dangerous world out there.’” 

This line from Ares comes after he intimidates the waitress at the diner. As the god of war, threats and shows of strength are how Ares operates. As a metaphor, Ares represents the symbol of America as a country ruled by impulse. His violent nature and the knife he carries portray him as someone willing to take any action to secure a desired outcome. He symbolizes the downside of American culture. While freedom allows for growth and opportunity, it also leads to people believing they have the right to bully and threaten others.

“On the other hand, I had no idea what to expect next. The gods kept toying with me. At least Hephaestus had the decency to be honest about it—he'd put up cameras and advertised me as entertainment. But even when the cameras weren't rolling, I had a feeling my quest was being watched. I was a source of amusement for the gods.” 

These lines come after Percy and the others escape the waterpark ride Ares tricked them into visiting. Hephaestus’s decency refers to the net trap he set for Ares and Aphrodite that would have been broadcast to Mount Olympus. Here, Riordan modernizes another tale from Greek myth and uses it to help Percy better understand the gods. Though a demigod, Percy is little more than a human to the gods, and Percy grapples with feelings of resentment toward them for much of the book after this. Ares’s waterpark trick also foreshadows how Ares, the turncoat god, tricks Percy again later.

“‘I was supposed to escort Thalia to camp,’ he said, sniffling. ‘Only Thalia. I had strict orders from Chiron: don't do anything that would slow down the rescue. We knew Hades was after her, see, but I couldn't just leave Luke and Annabeth by themselves. I thought... I thought I could lead all three of them to safety. It was my fault the Kindly Ones caught up with us. I froze. I got scared on the way back to camp and took some wrong turns. If I'd just been a little quicker...’

‘Stop it,’ Annabeth said. ‘No one blames you. Thalia didn't blame you either.’

‘She sacrificed herself to save us,’ he said miserably. ‘Her death was my fault. The Council of Cloven Elders said so.’”

This conversation takes place while Percy, Annabeth, and Grover travel to Denver. Here, Percy learns the truth about Thalia, as well as of Annabeth’s arrival at Camp Half-Blood. Grover has been nervous for most of the book, and Percy initially attributed this nervousness to the danger, but now he learns this quest is Grover’s last chance to prove himself. Grover’s failure on his previous protection assignment highlights how backward the entire demigod system is. He failed because he chose to help two other kids who needed aid and because Thalia chose to sacrifice herself. The opinions of others and the decision of someone else (things over which Grover has no control) dictate his future.

“He held out the cards, and I wanted one. I knew that if I took one, I'd never leave. I'd stay here, happy forever, playing games forever, and soon I'd forget my mom, and my quest, and maybe even my own name.” 

This passage comes right before Percy leaves the Lotus Hotel. The hotel allows Percy to forget his responsibilities and worries, and it represents the carefree life he can never have as a demigod. It’s also his last chance to defy the gods and not play their games. Though the hotel offers an eternity of bliss, Percy refuses because he’s needed. He won’t sacrifice his mother and let the world fall to war, and he is thus a true hero. The hotel is an illusion. Illusions can be tempting, but they aren’t, and can never be, real.

“I felt something rub against my leg. I looked down and almost shot out of the water like a ballistic missile. Sliding along beside me was a five-foot-long mako shark.

But the thing wasn't attacking. It was nuzzling me. Heeling like a dog. Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin. It bucked a little, as if inviting me to hold tighter. I grabbed the fin with both hands. It took off, pulling me along. The shark carried me down into the darkness. It deposited me at the edge of the ocean proper, where the sand bank dropped off into a huge chasm. It was like standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon at midnight, not being able to see much, but knowing the void was right there.” 

As a son of Poseidon, Percy has many water-related powers. Here, we see his powers reach a new level. The shark (a predator that attacks and eats indiscriminately) recognizes Percy as something not to be destroyed. Percy both has power and is powerful. His status as a demigod awards him loyalty from ocean creatures. Percy also isn’t crushed by the pressure of the ocean. Standing at the precipice of deeper water, Percy realizes just how immense his father’s domain is. While Percy can do much, he is nothing compared to the might of a god.

“‘Polluted,’ Charon said. ‘For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across—hopes, dreams, wishes that never came true. Irresponsible waste management, if you ask me.’” 

These lines are spoken by Charon, ferryman of the River Styx, and they come while Percy and his friends cross the river into the Underworld. The polluted nature of the river shows how humans influence the godly world. It also represents how many people never live up to their full potential or act on their wishes, leaving their dreams to die. The condition of the river harkens back to Pan. Nature isn’t the only thing people pollute.

“While the monster was distracted, Annabeth walked briskly under its belly and joined us at the metal detector.

‘How did you do that?’ I asked her, amazed.

‘Obedience school,’ she said breathlessly, and I was surprised to see there were tears in her eyes. ‘When I was little, at my dad's house, we had a Doberman...’” 

This conversation comes after Annabeth distracts Cerberus so she, Percy, and Grover can enter the Underworld. Cerberus takes a liking to Annabeth, implying she’s the first person to show him attention in a long time. Like people and demigods, monsters want to be acknowledged and loved. Annabeth’s teary-eyed reaction to the dog and the mention of her past show she doesn’t hate her family as much as she said earlier. There are good memories mixed in with the bad, and they help her decide to try again with her dad. The fact that Annabeth’s lessons from obedience school allow her to tame Cerberus shows how the human world can affect monsters and the gods.

“Imagine the largest concert crowd you've ever seen, a football field packed with a million fans.

Now imagine a field a million times that big, packed with people, and imagine the electricity has gone out, and there is no noise, no light, no beach ball bouncing around over the crowd. Something tragic has happened backstage. Whispering masses of people are just milling around in the shadows, waiting for a concert that will never start.

If you can picture that, you have a pretty good idea what the Fields of Asphodel looked like.”

Here, Percy sees the Fields of Asphodel for the first time. The Fields of Asphodel are named for the asphodel flower, which is a pale color, much like the fields are a pale imitation of life. Riordan describes the fields by comparing them to something in the real world, a technique he employs throughout the book to explain godly items and locations. With the Underworld, he takes this method a step farther, asking readers to imagine a specific place under particular conditions: a concert arena after a terrible event. By doing so, he both paints a precise picture of the Field of Asphodel and gives us information about the dead.

“But I thought of how few people there were in Elysium, how tiny it was compared to the Fields of Asphodel or even the Fields of Punishment. So few people did good in their lives. It was depressing.” 

These lines come after Percy observes the different parts of the Underworld. Demigods strive for Elysium (similar to Heaven), a place few souls find. More people end up in the Fields of Punishment, but both places hold hardly anyone compared to the Field of Asphodel. As in life, most people are average in death. Those who stand out (whether bad or good) are the minority. Percy notes how sad it is that so few people do good, but he makes no mention of the Fields of Punishment. Though they have more residents than Elysium, the Fields of Punishment still hold nowhere near the number of the Fields of Asphodel, showing that most people are not evil either.

“‘Exactly,’ Ares said. ‘Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn't know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going.’

‘But they're your family!’ Annabeth protested.

Ares shrugged. ‘Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say.’” 

This conversation comes after Percy realizes Ares is the thief of both Zeus’s lightning bolt and Hades’s helm. Throughout The Lightning Thief, themes of family are explored—both finding family and feeling ignored by them. Here, we see a third side: the ugly side of family. Ares attempts to instigate a war between people who love or are at least passionate about one another. The line between love and hatred is narrow, making a confrontation easy. This passage also shows how susceptible the gods are to tricks. Zeus would happily blame Poseidon and Hades for the disappearance of his bolt, even if he has no proof.