Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Lightning Thief, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity, Heroism, and Normalcy
Family
Friendship and Belonging
Godliness vs. Humanity
Summary
Analysis
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover spend two days on the train, but nothing attacks them. The picture the tourist took in New Jersey of Percy with Riptide is in all the papers, so Percy keeps an eye out and tries to lay low. The accompanying article says that Smelly Gabe is offering a cash reward for information as to Percy’s whereabouts. One evening, as Grover snores, Annabeth asks who wants Percy’s help and shares that he’s been talking in his sleep. He describes his dreams of the voice in the pit. Annabeth insists that it doesn’t sound like Hades, and it doesn’t make sense for Hades to ask Percy to bring the bolt if Hades already has it. When Percy mentions Mom, Annabeth reminds him that he can’t barter with Hades. If Hades had her dad, she’d leave him to rot.
Annabeth is beginning to understand that if she wants this quest to be successful, she has to put in some effort to get to know Percy. It’s not useful for her to ignore him just because Athena and Poseidon are enemies; Percy’s dreams are important, and so it’s important for Annabeth and him to discuss and try to interpret them. Moreover, Annabeth has spent far more time in the world of the gods, and so she has a lot more information on what might be going on than Percy does.
Themes
Percy is shocked, but Annabeth shares that her dad wasn’t thrilled when she showed up in a golden cradle. He married a mortal woman and had two kids, and they pretend that Annabeth doesn’t exist. Percy says that Mom married an awful guy to protect him and that maybe Annabeth’s dad is doing the same, but Annabeth fingers her necklace and the gold class ring on it. She says that her dad doesn’t care about her; her dad and stepmom treat her like a freak, and she ran away at seven years old. Athena guided Annabeth, along with a couple of friends, to Camp Half-Blood.
Annabeth’s story reveals that having a mortal parent is no guarantee that that parent will present or happy to have a child at all. Given how little any of the other campers at Camp Half-Blood talked about their mortal parents, it’s possible that many have family situations like this—which means that for these demigods, friendship is the only way to receive care and support.
Themes
Eight days before the summer solstice, the train passes through St. Louis. Annabeth twists to look at the Gateway Arch and says she wants to build a great monument to the gods. Percy laughs at the thought of Annabeth being an architect and sitting still, so Annabeth insults Poseidon. Percy asks if they can cooperate at all, pointing out that even Poseidon and Athena cooperated once. The train stops for a layover, so Annabeth insists on riding to the top of the Arch. They meander through the museum; and Percy smells something odd, but Grover insists that underground air always smells like monsters. Still, something feels wrong. Percy asks about Hades’s symbol of power, the helm of darkness, which allows him to become darkness and radiate fear. Percy asks if they can know that Hades isn’t here now. They can’t.
Both Percy and Annabeth have work to do if they’re going to develop a genuine, caring friendship. They don’t have the kind of relationship yet where they can laugh at and insult each other, even jokingly, and they need to work hard to avoid that kind of behavior if they want to gain each other’s trust. Meanwhile, Grover’s insistence that there’s nothing amiss here (when in all likelihood, there is a monster around) shows that the friends also need to get better at trusting one another’s instincts. Even if one of them doesn’t pick up on danger, another is bound to.
Themes
Percy feels even worse when he sees the tiny elevator: he hates confined spaces because of his ADHD. The three get in with a large woman and a Chihuahua, which Percy thinks must be a service dog. They make small talk on the way up, but the woman and dog’s eyes look unintelligent and vicious. Up on the observation, deck Percy feels even more nervous, so he’s thrilled when it’s time to go. Annabeth and Grover get in an elevator, and there’s no room for Percy, so he insists he’ll take the next one. The only people on the deck now one family and the woman with her Chihuahua. The woman smiles, and a forked tongue flicks out. The woman calls the Chihuahua “son” and sighs that it’s not a good time. She smiles again and tells Percy that the dog is her son, the Chimera.
That Percy attributes his fear of small, enclosed spaces to his ADHD shows that he hasn’t entirely shifted over to thinking about his disorder as something related to being a demigod. When the monsters reveal themselves, it becomes clear that Percy isn’t experiencing ADHD-adjacent claustrophobia: he’s legitimately sensing monsters and is scared for a valid reason. The woman and the Chihuahua show that they understand the power of friendship, as they wait to get Percy alone, when he’s more vulnerable.
Themes
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As the Chimera barks, it grows until it touches the ceiling and transforms into its monstrous form. The woman introduces herself as Echidna; dumbfounded, Percy asks if that’s a kind of anteater. Echidna sets the Chimera on Percy for this insult. Percy knows he has to protect the mortals. He engages the Chimera, which blows a hole in the side of the observation deck with flames. He tries to stab at the lion head, but the snake head tail bites Percy’s leg and pulls him off his feet. Riptide falls into the Mississippi River below. Percy knows he can’t just die—he has to protect the mortals. Echidna taunts Percy that he should jump and prove that he’s Poseidon’s son. Percy stands at the edge, thinks of his childhood memory of Poseidon visiting him, and jumps. He prays for Poseidon to help him.
Not everything about being a god or a monster is a good thing—Echidna is clearly upset about having an animal named after her, as she feels it takes away some of her power. This makes her seem more human and multifaceted—she has issues in her life beyond parenting her monstrous children and tormenting heroes like Percy. Percy’s choice to jump is a major turning point for him. It represents his choice to trust Poseidon and start to think of his father differently—possibly, as someone who can actually help Percy and guide him in times of need.
Themes
