The Lightning Thief: Motifs

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Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

Greek Mythology

The Lightning Thief mixes Greek mythology with certain aspects of the modern world, creating a new setting in which the events of the story take place. The setting is firmly contemporary at the beginning but quickly introduces themes, characters, and other elements of Greek mythology as Percy learns more about his true identity. While traditional Greek mythology is filled with stories of conflict between the gods—Poseidon and Athena, for instance—Percy and Annabeth ultimately decide to defy the status quo and become best friends. The divine quest given to each child at Camp Half-Blood is a metaphor for their coming of age, and by fighting various monsters from mythology, like Medusa and Procrustes, they learn more about the world and themselves. Knowledge of Greek mythology helps Percy, Annabeth, and Grover make decisions and act quickly throughout their quest. By centering the plot in Greek mythology, readers have the opportunity to learn about these myths in a dynamic and approachable way.

Gifts

Throughout the story, Percy receives gifts from various characters to help him on his journey. Some gifts serve to advance the plot; others serve to confirm Percy’s identity as a demigod. Percy receives shoes from Luke that are meant to be an asset on his quest, but in actuality they are meant to help Kronos rise. This gift represents deception and misplaced trust, which Percy often struggles with. Percy believes that Luke is his friend and wants him to succeed on his journey. Instead, Luke resents Percy for going on a better quest than the one he had been given and he uses the shoes to put Percy in harm’s way. Another gift of deception is the backpack Ares gives Percy. Percy feels defeated when he realizes he accepted a gift from someone he trusted, only to later learn of their betrayal. In contrast to the shoes and the backpack, the three pearls gifted by Nereid come at a time when he is doubting his status as a son of Poseidon. In this instance, the gift reinforces the theme of identity.

Learning Disabilities

Percy’s learning disabilities are frequently mentioned throughout the story, first as perceived negative aspects of his personality and then as assets on his quest. He often doubts himself because he is constantly reprimanded by superiors for his actions and decisions, which these adults attribute to his ADHD or dyslexia. When Mr. Brunner recognizes Percy’s potential, Percy starts to question his teacher’s judgment because he has been conditioned to see himself as inferior. Traits that are viewed as unhelpful in the modern setting of the novel turn out to be assets in the mythological world. An example of this is when Annabeth reminds Percy in a moment of weakness that his learning disabilities help him with battle reflexes. Percy’s mother also validates him for who he is rather than how Percy initially sees himself. Sally reminds him that his father would be so proud of him, not because he has or doesn’t have a disability, but because of who he is on the inside and the choices that he makes. Percy’s acceptance of his ADHD and dyslexia show that one can convert what others see as flaws into something uniquely valuable.