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
Annabeth hails a taxi and asks the driver to take them to L.A. She hands him her LotusCash card, and when the driver swipes it, an infinity symbol comes up. He speeds all the way to L.A. On the drive, Percy shares his dream with Annabeth and Grover, but he can’t remember the details—he knows he recognized the invisible voice and that the thing in the pit has a nickname, but that’s it. Annabeth’s eyes widen at one point, but she insists that it had to have been Hades. She thinks that the thief must’ve failed to fetch the bolt, which would explain the Furies’ behavior on the bus. Percy asks why they’re going to the Underworld if he already has the bolt, and Grover suggests that they’re going to blackmail Hades for Mom.
Now that Percy and Annabeth have come to more of an understanding in terms of how they communicate, it doesn’t bother Percy so much that Annabeth clearly knows something and isn’t sharing. He understands that at some point, when she’s ready, she’ll share. This drives home how much their relationship has changed over the last week or so. Percy now understands that Annabeth’s silence and sassiness aren’t mean—these qualities strategic, and Percy should trust her.
Themes
Percy tells his friends that the thing in the pit is waiting for two items. Catching Annabeth’s look, Percy asks if she knows what’s in the pit, but Annabeth refuses to talk about it. Percy feels like he’s missing something important and that confronting Hades is the wrong move. Annabeth assures Percy that the answer is still in the Underworld since Percy saw spirits of the dead. At sunset, they arrive at the beach in Santa Monica. Percy walks into the water, discovers he can breathe and see, and jumps when a shark nuzzles his leg. Percy grabs its dorsal fin, and the shark carries him deeper into the ocean.
Again, Percy understands that Annabeth probably has a good reason to keep quiet; indeed, though she never says outright, it’s likely that she’s actually trying to be a good friend and not freak Grover out by voicing her suspicions. In this sense, all three are becoming better friends to each other and figuring out new ways of caring for each other.
Themes
A beautiful woman rides toward Percy on a giant sea horse. Percy bows to her and says that she’s the woman who spoke to him in the Mississippi. She introduces her self as Nereid, a sea spirit who serves in Poseidon’s court. Nereid explains that they’ve been watching Percy for years, but Percy asks why Poseidon isn’t helping him more if he’s so interested. Nereid reminds him that gods can’t show favoritism, but they can help indirectly. This is where she comes in. She gives Percy three pearls and says that only three mortals have gone to the Underworld and made it out alive. If Percy needs help, he should smash a pearl. She adds that what belongs to the sea will return to the sea. Then, she warns him that Hades feeds on doubt, so Percy must trust his judgment.
Though it’s frustrating for Percy that Poseidon hasn’t done more and isn’t doing more to help now, Nereid asks him to understand that Poseidon has to play by ancient and well-established rules when it comes to dealing with Percy. In other words, his neglect isn’t personal—it’s just what gods have to do. Though this certainly doesn’t make it easier for Percy, it does show him that he’s in the same boat as many other demigod kids.
Themes
Percy swims to shore and shows Grover and Annabeth the pearls. Annabeth grimaces and insists that all gifts have prices. They take the bus into West Hollywood looking for the entrance to the Underworld, but the driver hasn’t heard of DOA Recording Studios. They can’t find it anywhere. Percy stops in front of an appliance store to watch Barbara Walters interview Smelly Gabe about Percy and Mom. Gabe fake cries and says that if it weren’t for his new girlfriend, he’d be a wreck. The screen cuts to a photo of Percy. Grover hauls Percy away. It starts to get dark, and at an alley, a gang of rich kids circles the trio. Percy instinctively uncaps Riptide and swings at the leader, but it passes through his body. Percy shouts for Annabeth and Grover to run.
It’s interesting that Annabeth takes issue with the pearls but not with the backpack that Ares gave them. This suggests that Annabeth is far more skeptical when it comes to gifts that seem obviously magical in nature; food, clothes, and money aren’t gifts she thinks are worthy of her suspicion. That the trio can’t find the recording studio that marks the entrance to the Underworld indicates that it’s well-hidden—and as demigods, it’s a tossup whether Annabeth and Percy will be able to find it without assistance.
Themes
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They race through the city until they come to the only open business in the area: Crusty’s Water Bed Palace. They go in, hide behind a bed, and watch the boys run past. A seven-foot-tall, hairless guy with leathery skin and clothes straight out of the 1970s comes up behind them and introduces himself as Crusty. He grumbles about the bad kids outside and then insists that Percy, Annabeth, and Grover look at waterbeds by forcibly leading Percy into the showroom. Crusty shows them a bed with built-in lava lamps that gives massages. Grover leaps on. Crusty says “almost” and then leads Annabeth to another bed and pushes her down. He snaps his fingers, says, “Ergo,” and ropes tie down Grover and Annabeth.
It’s likely that the gang of boys outside is one of the only reasons that Crusty gets any customers at all, so speaking ill of them is a way for him to try to fit in with his (usually) mortal customers. Now Percy, as the only free member of the trio, will have to figure this one out on his own—he knows he can’t leave his friends behind, so he’ll have to draw on his own strengths to save them.
Themes
Crusty insists he’ll let Grover and Annabeth go, but only after he “makes them fit”—the beds are exactly six feet long, so he needs to stretch Annabeth and Grover to make them exactly six feet tall. Percy asks for Crusty’s real name: it’s Procrustes. Percy recognizes the name; Procrustes is a giant who tried to kill Theseus with excess hospitality. Percy decides to flatter Crusty. He compliments the beds, agrees that Annabeth is inconsiderate, and asks what Crusty does when customers are too tall. Crusty procures a huge axe and says he cuts off any excess. Percy inspects a bed with motion stabilizers and asks if it’ll work for a big guy like Crusty. He asks Crusty to show him. Crusty falls for the trap—Percy ties him up and “shortens” him with Riptide. He discovers a flier and address for the DOA Recording Studios.
Percy discovers that though Crusty might be a monster, he, too, has faults—in this case, he’s very susceptible to flattery and insults toward his products. That Percy is able to successfully trick Crusty indicates that over the course of his journey, Percy has learned how to identify and then manipulate people’s faults in order to get his way and protect himself. Further, this indicates that Percy’s people skills are perhaps more refined than Annabeth’s or Grover’s—given Annabeth’s tendencies, she might have dealt with this situation in a more physical way.
Themes
