Thematic Elements of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: the Lightning Thief
Thematic Elements of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
In Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, there are various messages that the reader is able to observe and learn from. A few of the messages found in this novel, are the following: everyone needs acceptance from society; everything does not always seem to be what they appear to be; a person’s fate is unpredictable, and as a society people should take care of the environment. These are issues that people have to deal with everyday and can change a person for better or worse. It is how a person can learn that every choice made has its consequences. It is those choices made that defines not only society but the entire human race.
It is human nature for people to look for acceptance in society. Without acceptance, people can feel like rejects, outcasts, or failures. Percy is a kid who is branded a “loser” at school. He is picked on, he is not academically intellectual. Percy has Dyslexia along with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder also known as ADHD. For anyone with those types of learning disorders, it can be difficult to socialize and to interact with other people. Riordan adds,“ Just when [he] started to feel accepted, to feel [he] had a home in cabin eleven and [he] might be a normal kid—or as normal as you can be when you’re a half-blood—[he’d] been separated out as if [he] had some rare disease , a person’s fate is unavoidable” (127). In this example, Percy deals with rejection because he does not fully understand his disabilities and why he needs to be moved to another cabin. Soon he learns that he has these disabilities for a reason, these disabilities eventually help him to succeed. Riordan acknowledges, “[Percy] finally found a family, people who cared about [him] and thought [he] had done something right”(359). It can be difficult for young people to recognize their strengths at such a young age because it takes time and direction for them to
In Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, there are various messages that the reader is able to observe and learn from. A few of the messages found in this novel, are the following: everyone needs acceptance from society; everything does not always seem to be what they appear to be; a person’s fate is unpredictable, and as a society people should take care of the environment. These are issues that people have to deal with everyday and can change a person for better or worse. It is how a person can learn that every choice made has its consequences. It is those choices made that defines not only society but the entire human race.
It is human nature for people to look for acceptance in society. Without acceptance, people can feel like rejects, outcasts, or failures. Percy is a kid who is branded a “loser” at school. He is picked on, he is not academically intellectual. Percy has Dyslexia along with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder also known as ADHD. For anyone with those types of learning disorders, it can be difficult to socialize and to interact with other people. Riordan adds,“ Just when [he] started to feel accepted, to feel [he] had a home in cabin eleven and [he] might be a normal kid—or as normal as you can be when you’re a half-blood—[he’d] been separated out as if [he] had some rare disease , a person’s fate is unavoidable” (127). In this example, Percy deals with rejection because he does not fully understand his disabilities and why he needs to be moved to another cabin. Soon he learns that he has these disabilities for a reason, these disabilities eventually help him to succeed. Riordan acknowledges, “[Percy] finally found a family, people who cared about [him] and thought [he] had done something right”(359). It can be difficult for young people to recognize their strengths at such a young age because it takes time and direction for them to
Cited: Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. New York: Disney, 2005.