The Lightening Thief
Concept/Vocabulary Analysis
Literary Text: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
(Hyperion First Edition)
Summary
Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson does not think of himself as
special. Actually, he thinks he is below average, judging by his
grades, the fact that he is in his sixth school in six years, he has
trouble reading because of Dyslexia, and the only rays of light in
his life are his kind mother and his friend Grover. But, on a
school field trip to a museum, he finds out that he is unique,
although he can’t figure out how exactly. At the end of term, it
all comes together during a wild flight from an actual Minotaur
when his mother tells him he is the son of a Greek God. His best
friend is actually a satyr assigned to protect him, some of the
other gods are trying to kill him, and he’s going to a summer
camp for demi-gods. It is safe from the monsters of the
underworld, and it is where Percy will find out who his father is
and how he will have to stop World War III. He has ten days to
save the world and his mom. But, he may have to choose
between the two.
Organizational Patterns
The Novel is organized into chapters only. There are 22 chapters, and all of them have 15-25
pages of large, easy-to-read text on small pages. All chapters also have a clever and intriguing
title that explains what will happen in that chapter, although sometimes what happens is often
difficult to predict and the connection between the events and the title are hard to make until
after that chapter has been read.
The Central/Enduring Issue
RESPONSIBILITY
What are the drawbacks of suddenly discovering that you have divine parentage and
awesome super powers? Percy Jackson finds out that he has sword-fighting and battle skills,
along with the ability to manipulate water. He can fall from great heights into water and be just
fine, he can breathe and see underwater, and touching water doubles his strength. These
Frost, BYU, 2009, page 1
powers and abilities are all incredibly cool to talk about
just to know that he has, but they also come with a
He now has to choose how he will use them, and to
end. These powers come with amazing responsibility
because what he chooses to do with them can affect
entire human race. In fact, Percy is asked to choose
between saving Western Civilization or his own mother.
hero, he does not have the freedom to make choices in
same way because so many people are depending on
Sometimes he has to choose between what he wants
than anything and what he knows is right.
or
price.
what
the
As a
the
him.
more
IDENTITY
Would Percy really prefer to remain in the dark about who he is and where he comes from?
Often throughout the book, Percy seems to wish that he could go on being a normal boy who
does not have to have the responsibilities of protecting people. He seems to wish he never
would have found out who his dad is, or what that means for him. But, it answers so many
questions about why he has ADHD and Dyslexia, why odd things seem to happen to him, no
matter where he goes, and why he feels like life as a normal kid is not enough for him. Would
he really choose, if he could, to give up knowing who he really is and why he is the way he is?
What kinds of things are important to know about oneself and why? What can our roots tell us
about who we are today?
Issues Related to this Study of Literature
THEME
Things are not always what they seem- One of the major themes of Percy Jackson and the
Olympians: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan is the concept of meaning in life, and how life is
surprising sometimes. Percy thinks that he is simply below average in school because he has
disorders such as ADHD and Dyslexia, but he finds out that these disorders actually stem from a
battle sense and restlessness as well as a tendency to want to change modern English into
Ancient Greek when he reads. He is actually above average in a number of ways, and people
depend on his powers and skills for their lives and their protection. Modern science has
explained many different phenomena, but Percy finds out that New York is the home of Mount
Olympus, which is suspended above the Empire State building, and Los Angeles, California holds
the entrance to Hades’ realm, the underworld. People do not see it because of the Midst; they
see what they choose to see instead, what makes sense to them. How many times do we walk
by a real life situation, and see it in a different way because that is what we understand? People
Frost, BYU, 2009, page 2
have a tendency to use what they know to explain the unknown. Does that make it true? Just
because science says something right now, does that make it the only correct way to look at the
world? Science has supposedly explained weather patterns, but Percy finds out that the Ancient
Greek Gods truly control them. And yet people still fit their own explanation in and make it
truth to them. The important part of this theme is to point out that the most marvelous
discoveries were made by people who insisted on thinking differently, to explain the unknown
in a new way.
SETTING
The Lightening Thief takes place in a number of
major cities spread across the United States.
The main character starts out in a boarding
school in New York City called Yancy Academy,
about fifty miles from Hudson Valley. He gets to
go home at the end of term to a small
apartment building on the Upper East Side of New York City. His mother takes him on a short
trip to Montauk beach to vacation in a cabin there, until he is chased into hiding at Camp HalfBlood. Camp Half Blood is located outside of
New York City, disguised as a strawberry farm.
There are woods surrounding the camp and it
has twelve cabins, each one for the children of
a specific god or goddess. He then travels west
to Los Angeles, passing through St. Louis,
Denver, and Las Vegas, and stopping at Santa
Monica Beach before braving the city of Los
Angeles. The book finishes back in New York
City, where Mount Olympus is located for now.
CONFLICT
Frost, BYU, 2009, page 3
Internal: Percy has many internal conflicts throughout the novel. One of the
main conflicts is with his own reaction to finding out
who his father is. He feels angry at his father for
letting him live in ignorance. Because his father is so
powerful, Percy wonders why he does not simply
protect Percy and make it easy for him. Percy was
also not supposed to be born. The three main Gods,
Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, all made a pact after
World War II that they would not have any more
children by mortals. Percy was a great big oops. His
birth was a mistake; his father did not want him to
be born, and his very existence creates momentous problems and blame on his father. Percy
must learn to live with the fact that he is a mistake. And he needs to decide if he will simply
turn his back on a father who has never even taken the time to show that he cares or if he will
live his life trying to make his father proud of him and accepting whatever help and contact his
father chooses to bestow. Percy also must choose between what he wants most (his mother to
come back to life) or the right thing to do (save all of his friends and all of civilization from a
devastating World War III. Both choices are good and ethical, but it is a lot of responsibility on
his shoulders in return for knowledge that he did not even want in the first place.
External: Because Percy Jackson is the son of a God, mythological monsters are
constantly following him, tracking him, and making attempts on his life. The more he knows
about the danger he is in, the stronger his scent becomes. When Percy’s father claims Percy as
his son, the danger increases because he is now a forbidden child of one of the Big Three Gods.
Throughout the book, he encounters many different kinds of fighting. He fights his math
teacher, who turns out to be one of the three Furies. He also must fight a
Minotaur, a battle in which he loses his mother. He encounters a Chimera,
Medusa herself, a number of other monsters, and in the end he must fight
the War God, Ares. He receives injuries, goes without food and sleep, and
pushes himself to his physical limits throughout the plot.
POINT OF VIEW, NARRATIVE VOICE
The novel is a first person narrative told by Percy Jackson, as if he was speaking
conversationally to the reader. He does not speak with arrogance about his powers or his
birthright. He actually states them as problems that you certainly would not wish upon yourself.
He speaks very honestly as a teenage boy, pointing out his own weaknesses more readily than
he points out his strengths.
Frost, BYU, 2009, page 4
Percy describes himself as the unlucky recipient of some extremely life-altering information,
and he warns the reader to believe that it is all fake, that none of it could really happen. And if
the reader has a life like the one Percy started with in the beginning of his telling of the story,
Percy warns the reader to continue believing that it is all made up by an author sitting at a typewriter somewhere, writing the story for fun and pleasure.
Percy remains cynical throughout the novel, pointing out that he, like us, tries to look at the
good in situations. But he, unlike us, is a half-blood and bad things seem to happen to him. He
seems annoyed, almost attempting to make his bad luck humorous, and constantly surprised
that he was not able to foresee bad things that seem to always happen to him, describing
himself as a magnet to which bad luck seems to be drawn.
Affective Issues Related to the Work
Students will be able to relate to Percy and the other characters throughout the novel on a
variety of levels and in diverse and individualized ways. First, the question of saving a loved one
at the expense of the lives of many. While it is very unlikely that any students have
encountered this decision, it is an opportunity for them to explore themselves and their own
strengths, beliefs, ideals, and ethical priorities.
Students reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief will also be able to
explore the issue of identity. Some students may not know who both of their parents are.
Would they want to know if they could? What if they were disappointed? What kind of
knowledge about ourselves do we take for granted? Many people do not have baby pictures of
themselves, or stories about their parents or their childhood. What can these things tell us
about ourselves? What tendencies do you have that might be related to your heritage?
Also, Percy is not sure how he feels about his quest’s companion,
Annabeth. He does not truly get along with her at first, but seems to like
her more as the quest goes on, even become attracted to her. Students
will be able to relate to a developing crush and how it affects behavior. By
the end of the book, Percy considers Annabeth to be a friend worth
sacrificing for. What kinds of things can change your mind about
someone? What kinds of first impressions have you had that turned out
to change the more you got to know someone?
Also, there is the bully at Camp, Clarisse. Students will be able to relate to the idea of someone
stronger and meaner who tries to push Percy around. But, Percy is able to save himself from a
swirly using his newfound powers. In what kinds of everyday bullying situations would powers
Frost, BYU, 2009, page 5
like this be handy? Students can relate to the desire to thwart authority that is established
because of size and backup, just like bullies in schools.
There is also an underlying theme of morality and adultery. The Gods and Goddesses of Mount
Olympus often have backgrounds involving immorality and adultery. Sometimes it is punished
and sometimes it is not. Some students may have differing beliefs and tolerances regarding
morality and adultery, and it may be a tricky subject throughout the book that could generate
opinion-based discussion.
Vocabulary Issues
The Raygor Readability Estimate yielded an estimated 6th grade reading level for Percy Jackson
and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. It is written in very basic language with all students
should be familiar, as it is more conversational than academic. However, there are some issues
that could be a problem throughout the work as related to the mythological terms, characters,
and language. It might be a good idea to familiarize students with a number of the Ancient
Greek Gods and few of their stories and relationships, along with a few monster terms such as
Fury, Medusa, Chimera, and Minotaur, just so that the students can have prior knowledge and
connections to these ideas and concepts.
Background Knowledge
As stated above, there are some issues that could be a problem throughout the work as related
to the mythological terms, characters, and language. Students can enjoy the novel without this
knowledge, as it often gives short descriptions of character and monsters, but some jokes
would be hard to understand, some characters would be difficult to picture, and some deep
situations might be missed without giving students prior
background knowledge into Ancient Greek Mythology. Some
things that they may want to know more about for insight and
connection to the mythological themes would be:
Zeus: God of Sky. Defeated Titans with a
Lightening bolt, which is his preferred
weapon.
Poseidon: God of Sea. Created horses. Brother of Zeus.
Hades: God of Underworld. Brother of Zeus. Resents his position and its
responsibilities.
Things in the underworld (River Styx, Ferrier, three-headed dog,
Persephone, the Furies)
The Fates and any other creatures: what they do/ look like
Frost, BYU, 2009, page 6
Ares: God of War, has an affair with Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, who is married to Hephaestus,
who is always trying to catch them and embarrass them in their affair (depending on
community context, this story could be told in a watered-down fashion using children’s
versions). There are a number of picture books with quick stories to read them. Focus
particularly on the gods vs. Titans myth.
Other terms and names to consider:
Gallery
Frieze
Quest
Minotaur
Satyr
Nymph
Centaur
Dionysus
Demeter
Aphrodite
Hephaestus
Apollo
Hermes
Athena
Hera
Chiron
Oracle
Fates
Furies
Hydra
Orpheus
Cerberus
River Styx
Olympics
Persephone
Chimera
Echidna
Ichor
Kronos
Tartarus
Titans
Muses
Implications for Student Diversity
Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief has little to no mention of ethnic
diversity. There are a few references to diversity as it relates to socioeconomic class. For
instance, Percy does feel slightly uncomfortable in a scene where some upper-city kids discuss
their summer vacation plans and Percy is simply going back
to his d own-town New York apartment. This could generate
a discussion about class as it fits in modern society in the
United States, and if class differences really mean anything
in terms of importance or distinction. Even though Percy
comes from a home where the mother has two jobs simply
to get by in their small apartment, he turns out to be the
son of a God, with super powers and skills. Does money
make someone better, or is it the means to attain it?
Gender Issues
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief does not deal with
Frost, BYU, 2009, page 7
any particular gender issues. One incident does come up with Annabeth’s parentage. She is the
daughter or the Goddess Athena, and she tells Percy how she was expected to live with her
father, not with her mother, because he was mortal. Her father, however, thought it more
prudent for a daughter to grow up with her mother so this created a conflict, making Annabeth
feel unwanted between the two. However, girl half-bloods are considered just as capable as the
boys, and are treated equally in training and in battle.
Project Ideas
Venn DiagramHave students compare and contrast one mythological
character of their choice from the novel to the same
character from other myths that we have read as a class,
or myths that they encounter on their own.
Design your own Olympus ProjectWhere would it be? What would it look like? Have
students come up with a written description and/or a
visual that describes their own Olympus with explanations
and rationale, using imagery and colorful, creative ideas.
Reader’s TheatreDivide students into groups and ask them all to choose one of the scenes from the novel that
involves battle. Have them assign a character or narrator to each person in the group, and to
interpret that battle scene in a skit. They can come up with visuals, costumes, and any other
visual effects that they think would be helpful to their interpretation of that particular scene
from the novel. They also need to type up their own script and hand this in.
Enrichment Resources
Classic Myths to Read Aloud as edited and compiled by William F. Russell-
Frost, BYU, 2009, page 8
This book has a number of the main stories of Greek Mythology that are arranged specially for
children five and up by an educational expert. This would be a perfect resource to help students
to become more familiar with the mythological history, characters, and terms that recur
throughout the novel.
Disney’s “Hercules”This movie is not entirely accurate as compared with actual Greek Mythology, but it would be a
great resource that would create a visual for students in regards to some of the characters,
terms and places that will be encountered throughout the story in Percy Jackson and the
Olympians: The Lightning Thief, told about another demi-god of different parentage. It could be
used simply in small segments to demonstrate particular relationships or to introduce particular
characters to the minds of the students.
The Classic Treasury of Bulfinche’s Mythology as Edited and Compiled by
Thomas BulfinchThis is a children’s picture book contains stories involving many characters
and relationships that come up throughout the novel, such as the story of
Orpheus and Eurydice, much like when Percy attempts to go to the
underworld and return his mother to life. There are also stories about
Medusa, the Chimera, Hercules, the Trojan War, and many others. This book has beautiful
illustrations that can help the students to make visual as well as auditory connections to the
novel.
Frost, BYU, 2009, page 9