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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, Grover, and Percy camp in a clearing where kids have clearly partied; there’s garbage everywhere. Percy volunteers to keep watch, but Grover stays up with him. Grover grumbles that he won’t find Pan at this rate—this is why he wants his searcher’s license. Percy asks about searchers. Grover explains that the god Pan disappeared 2,000 years ago, and though humans believe he’s dead, satyrs don’t. Brave satyrs pledge to spend their lives searching—and none come back alive. Percy is awed that Grover would pursue such a hopeless dream, but he wonders if his own dreams are just as hopeless. Percy asks what chance they have against Hades.
Grover wants to be a hero, but in his own way—being a searcher offers him a chance at glory, just like going on this quest offers Percy glory. However, it’s important to note that neither boy necessarily thinks of himself as a hero. To them, they’re just normal kids who happen to have fallen into abnormal circumstances. This continues to make the point that heroes don’t have to look a certain way to be heroic—they can be normal kids and still do great things.
Themes
Grover starts to talk about what Annabeth thinks, but Percy snappily says that she must have a plan. Grover asks Percy to believe that she’s a good person, since she forgave Grover. Percy realizes that Annabeth must’ve been Grover’s first, disastrous keeper assignment, but Grover refuses to talk about it. He says that on the bus, the Furies were asking for “it,” not “him.” They were looking for an object, and Percy might not be looking for the right thing. Percy admits that he only agreed to the quest so he could go to the Underworld and rescue Mom; he doesn’t care about Poseidon at all. Grover says that no matter what Percy says, he’s glad that Poseidon claimed him and he wants attention. Percy insists that Grover is wrong, but falls asleep instantly when Grover suggests that Percy sleep.
Percy tells Grover he’s wrong not because Grover is incorrect, but because admitting the truth is uncomfortable. Percy desperately wants to prove himself to Poseidon and make it clear that he’s not just a mistake or collateral damage. He’s a person, and he’d like to be treated as such. Snapping at Grover, however, is something that Percy feels he can do because of their close friendship. Though it may not be kind, Percy nevertheless feels as though he can behave roughly and still keep Grover as a friend—he knows that Grover will forgive him.
Themes
Percy dreams that he’s standing in a dark cavern at the edge of a gaping pit. There are dead spirits trying to pull Percy back, but Percy looks into the pit: he senses that something huge and evil is trying to leave it. From the bottom, an ancient voice says that Percy should barter with the voice, not the gods. Mom appears over the pit in a pained pose. A force starts to pull on Percy, and the voice asks Percy to help him rise and strike back against the gods. Percy understands that whatever is in the pit isn’t pulling him in—it’s trying to pull itself out. He wakes with a start. Annabeth points to Grover, who has a dirty pink poodle in his lap. The poodle yaps, and Grover responds to it. Percy is flabbergasted. Grover introduces the poodle as Gladiola.
These disturbing dreams indicate to Percy that there’s more going on here than a simple quest for a stolen thunderbolt—something else is trying to gain power. This tells Percy that he’s probably missing important information, something that puts him at risk of trusting the wrong people or making mistakes with serious consequences. The thing in the pit clearly understands the power of family to motivate Percy, which is why it dangles Mom in front of him.
Themes
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Percy looks to Annabeth, expecting her to laugh, but she says seriously that she said hello and Percy must too. When Gladiola growls, Percy says hello. Grover explains that Gladiola ran away from his family and doesn’t want to go back, but he will to help Grover out—there’s a $200 reward for his return. They buy train tickets with the money. Percy thinks of his dream and of all that might be waiting for him in the west.
The way that Grover and Annabeth talk about Gladiola forces Percy to also rethink how he considers animals. He can no longer think of this creature just as a dirty pink poodle—Gladiola clearly has desires and loyalties like everyone else. Percy must, in essence, humanize everyone he meets, even those who aren’t human.
Themes
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