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
Ares is waiting for Percy, Annabeth, and Grover when they at the diner—he says that they looked good on TV. Percy calls Ares a jerk as he hands over the shield, which makes Annabeth and Grover catch their breath. Ares ignores them and points to a semi-truck which reads that it contains wild animals—it’ll stop in Vegas and then head to L.A. The god then hands over a backpack filled with clothes, money, and Oreos. Percy starts to refuse it, but Grover interrupts and thanks Ares. Inside the diner, the waitress drags the cook to the window, and the cook snaps a photo of Percy. Even more annoyed, Percy asks Ares for news of Mom. Ares says that Mom is alive and being kept as a hostage to control Percy. He laughs when Percy insists that no one is controlling him.
No matter what Percy says, Ares is right: he convinced Percy to fetch his shield because he offered information on Mom. Clearly, it’s not hard to manipulate Percy by offering hopeful tidbits about Mom’s whereabouts. Grover’s focus on being polite seems to be the way to go here—Ares is menacing and extremely powerful, after all—but Percy has shown himself to have good instincts when it comes to dealing with unexpected turns like this. Grover’s unwillingness to trust Percy, then, could have disastrous consequences.
Themes
After Ares leaves, Grover points to the diner, where two men whose coveralls match the semi are paying. He leads Percy and Annabeth into the semi—it reeks. Percy uncaps Riptide to cast a light. The scene is sad: there’s a lion, a zebra, and an antelope, all with the wrong food in their cages. The lion’s blankets are soiled, and flies buzz around his eyes. Grover and Percy are ready to beat up the drivers when the truck starts. They switch the food dishes, refill the animals’ water, and cut a balloon off the antelope’s horn. Percy muses that he has plenty of time to get to L.A. before the solstice, but he’s concerned that the gods are toying with him and watching him all the time.
Helping out the animals in the truck shows that Percy is starting to expand the people and beings he cares about to include all animals. This is a major shift from how he treated the poodle Gladiola just a few days ago—now, he recognizes that just as it’s important to treat his close human friends well, it’s also important to be kind to animal friends. Percy’s sense that the gods are watching him is correct; he is, for them, entertainment—a dynamic that makes the gods seem more human.
Themes
Annabeth apologizes for freaking out at the water park and admits that she’s terrified of spiders. Percy guesses that it’s because of Arachne, and Annabeth confirms this. Percy reminds her that they’re a team. Annabeth asks if Luke really said nothing in the Iris message. After a minute, Percy relays what Luke said about nobody turning into a pine tree. Grover brays and confirms that he was Thalia’s keeper and that the two half-bloods who got safely to camp were Annabeth and Luke. Annabeth and Grover explain that Grover’s mission was to just rescue Thalia since Hades was after her, but Grover thought he could save all of them. The Kindly Ones caught up. Both Annabeth and Percy assure Grover that it wasn’t his fault, no matter what the Council of Cloven Elders says. Percy says that Grover has the biggest heart and that he’ll find Pan, but Grover falls asleep.
This is a major turning point for the trio’s friendship, as Percy finally gets to learn the truth about his friends’ history. Learning about what happened to Thalia helps Percy to understand why Grover is so cautious and always wracked with guilt. He didn’t just fail the first time—his failure resulted in someone’s death. However, both Percy and Annabeth try to convince Grover that it’s worth it to focus on what he did do: he saved two other innocent demigods. Trying to make Grover feel better and reframe what happened is a way for Percy and Annabeth to demonstrate their loyalty and their compassion.
Themes
Percy asks Annabeth if the bead on her necklace with a pine tree on it was from that first year—it is. Annabeth explains that the counselors paint the most important event of the summer on that year’s bead. Percy then asks if the college ring is her dad’s. Annabeth takes a shaky breath and says that he sent it to her two years ago with an apology and an invitation to live with him. Annabeth went, but her stepmom was still awful, and so Annabeth returned to Camp Half-Blood in the winter. Percy suggests that she try again. Then, after another bit of silence, Percy asks if the possible coming war will break down like the Trojan War did, with Athena fighting Poseidon. Annabeth says she doesn’t know, but she’s fighting alongside Percy because they’re friends. She falls asleep instantly.
For Annabeth, the issue isn’t just her dad’s lack of interest. The problem is also that he married someone who, like Gabe, is awful to his child. In this sense, Annabeth’s father is failing Annabeth by not insisting that she be treated like a real member of the family. Despite her difficult family situation, however, Annabeth does show here that she now understands the importance of friendship. Her loyalty to Athena may also be important, but it’s even more crucial for her to stand by her friend—even if Percy isn’t someone she’s supposed to like.
Themes
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Percy’s nightmare begins normally: he’s taking a test in a straitjacket. Abnormally, though, Thalia is also there in a straitjacket, and she tells Percy that someone has to get out. Percy decides to go scold Hades, and the straitjacket dissolves. Then, he’s back in the dark cavern listening to the monstrous thing in the pit talking to someone else about an exchange. Percy almost recognizes the other voice saying that Percy suspects nothing, referring to the thing in the pit as the “Crooked One,” and asking if he couldn’t have just delivered what he stole. The thing in the pit notices Percy and shows him a vision of a black marble throne room. Mom is at the foot of a dais. Percy’s body withers as the evil laugh booms.
That Percy feels like he recognizes the other voice around the pit suggests that there may be someone whom he hasn’t thought of yet, but who is trying to betray Percy. When Percy doesn’t come up with who it is and never suspects anyone at camp, it shows that he very much trusts everyone at Camp Half-Blood to have his back. Under normal circumstances, Percy would be right to do this—but in such a difficult time, Percy’s focus on his friendships with other campers means he’s liable to miss information.
Themes
Grover shakes Percy awake—they have to hide because the drivers are coming to check the animals. One trucker throws a bucket of water in the lion’s face, and the other tells the zebra that he’s going to get sawed in half in a magic show. In his head, Percy hears the zebra beg him to free it. A banging comes from outside, and the trucker disappears. Annabeth takes off her cap, and Grover says that according to the lion, these truckers are smugglers. Percy wonders why he can hear the zebra and not the other animals as the zebra assures Percy he’ll be fine. Percy pulls out Riptide and slashes the lock. The zebra leaps over the truckers, who give chase. Percy frees the antelope and the lion too, and then the trio also leaves the truck.
Again, part of being a good friend—even to animals—is doing what one’s friend knows is best. Freeing the animals is a way for Percy to show the animals (as well as anyone else watching) that he’s kind, compassionate, and stands up for fair treatment for everyone. As Percy does this, he displays heroism and he becomes more secure in who he is: a kind, compassionate, and brave person.
Themes
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover wander the streets until they end up in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino. The doorman smiles warmly and invites them to come inside. Though Percy has learned to be suspicious, he can tell this guy is normal and sympathetic. One look at the lobby—which is filled with a waterslide, a climbing wall, snack bars, and video games—and Percy agrees to enter. A bellhop hands them room and cash cards and seems confused when Percy asks how much is on the cards. Percy leads the way to their room, which has three separate bedrooms and a stocked snack bar. Percy showers and discovers clothes that fit, which seems odd. He throws away the backpack from Ares and thinks that he needs to talk to his friends—but it can wait.
Once again, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover read as normal kids here—but ones who are tired and therefore don’t have as strong of defenses as they might otherwise. This hotel is clearly a kid’s paradise with so many games, snacks, and clothes that magically fit the hotel’s newest guests. Interestingly, however, the hotel’s power seems to work on Grover just as well as it does on demigods like Percy and Annabeth. This drives home the similarities among the friends, despite their differing species.
Themes
Grover, Percy, and Annabeth head downstairs to play games. Eventually, Percy realizes that something is wrong. At a sharpshooting game, Percy notices a kid named Darrin dressed like he’s an Elvis impersonator’s son. Darrin says that the game is groovy and looks startled when Percy refers to a game as “sick.” When Percy asks what year it is, Darrin says it’s 1977. Percy tries to talk to other people. They all claim they’ve been in the hotel a short time, but they also say it’s 1985 or 1993. Percy wonders how long he’s been here and struggles to remember Mom’s name and their quest. He drags Annabeth away from her game by talking about spiders. They find Grover and drag him away too. Outside, the weather is stormy, and Percy discovers Ares’s backpack. He then discovers that he has one day to complete his quest.
Percy is able to escape the Lotus Hotel because, even though he’s just a demigod kid in many ways, he’s also a far more powerful one than most—and so he has the ability to power through the mind control that the hotel uses. Even as he does this, he tellingly makes it a priority to try to remember both Mom and his friends. This reminds the reader of where Percy’s loyalties lie: with the one family member who has always supported him, and with the friends who have been there for him in Mom’s absence.
Themes
