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“So if the gods fight… will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?”
[…]
“I don’t know what my mom will do. I just know I’ll fight next to you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?”
This conversation occurs between Percy and Annabeth in Chapter Sixteen while they are riding in the zoo animal transport truck on their way to Los Angeles. Here, Percy asks Annabeth if their godly parents will fight against each other again if there really is a war between the gods; famously, Poseidon and Athena are rivals. Annabeth assures Percy that she will fight alongside him, no matter what their parents do. This is a crucial moment for two key reasons. First of all, this moment highlights the evolution of Percy and Annabeth’s relationship. The two got off to a rocky start at the beginning of the novel and were constantly bickering and irritating one another. Annabeth also abided by the ancient grudge between Athena and Poseidon and resented Percy for being a child of her mother’s enemy. However, the pair grew to depend on each other over the course of their quest and they accidentally formed a deep bond. Annabeth’s decision to align herself with Percy demonstrates how far the two of them have come.
Percy and Annabeth’s conversation also contributes to the novel’s thematic emphasis on identity and agency. The gods of Olympus are powerful deities and they expect demigods, especially their own children, to bend to their will. However, here, Annabeth is vowing to fight alongside Percy no matter what their parents do. This moment may look like a simple, endearing exchange between two friends, but it is actually a spectacular display of free will. Demigods forging their own identities outside of their godly parents will become a motif throughout the entirety of the Percy Jackson series. Percy has been “impertinent” and questioned the gods several times throughout The Lightning Thief, but Annabeth has been trained to be respectful of the gods at all times. That her bond with Percy has caused Annabeth to question her beliefs renders this interaction all the more impactful as she asserts her own agency by defying the gods for the first time.
