Why is Ares involving himself in Percy's quest?
What do the dreams mean?
Is Percy immortal?
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Reactions/ Connections
Did it make you think of anything happening in the news, around school, in other stories or books you have read?
I had several connections with the third section of Lightning Thief. Percy's grand adventure/ quest is secondary to the understanding he is gaining of himself. Each monster he encounters, every deadly situation he must face, and all characters he comes across strengthen him inside. I mean think about it- what other situations put Percy in such close proximity to his emotions.
He must deal with the following:
The death of his mother.
His anger towards his step father.
His despise for past teachers and bullies.
His courage to solve problems from start to finish.
We all are on a "quest" like Percy so to speak. I mean sure, we go to school, work, and fulfill other obligations, but deep down we are on this "grand quest of self discovery." At the end of the day it is our happiness that is most important.
This book kind of reminds me of the Matrix! Neo encounters several situations, each of greater peril than the last. And even though the oracle tells him "you are the one," it is not until he believes it that he is able to defeat all opposing forces. I mean, let's face it, deep down Percy is still doubtful. He is distrusting, resentful, bitter, angry and insecure. Accepting that he is "the one" will negate all these feeling of self doubt- the very things preventing him from becoming this consummate hero.
I am just waiting for the moment that Percy picks up "Riptide" and says "There is no evil I can't defeat." This is the quest Percy is after: Belief in himself. Once he has achieved this, there is no monster or god that will stand in his way.
I had several connections with the third section of Lightning Thief. Percy's grand adventure/ quest is secondary to the understanding he is gaining of himself. Each monster he encounters, every deadly situation he must face, and all characters he comes across strengthen him inside. I mean think about it- what other situations put Percy in such close proximity to his emotions.
He must deal with the following:
The death of his mother.
His anger towards his step father.
His despise for past teachers and bullies.
His courage to solve problems from start to finish.
We all are on a "quest" like Percy so to speak. I mean sure, we go to school, work, and fulfill other obligations, but deep down we are on this "grand quest of self discovery." At the end of the day it is our happiness that is most important.
This book kind of reminds me of the Matrix! Neo encounters several situations, each of greater peril than the last. And even though the oracle tells him "you are the one," it is not until he believes it that he is able to defeat all opposing forces. I mean, let's face it, deep down Percy is still doubtful. He is distrusting, resentful, bitter, angry and insecure. Accepting that he is "the one" will negate all these feeling of self doubt- the very things preventing him from becoming this consummate hero.
I am just waiting for the moment that Percy picks up "Riptide" and says "There is no evil I can't defeat." This is the quest Percy is after: Belief in himself. Once he has achieved this, there is no monster or god that will stand in his way.
Response to Lightning Thief Week 3
A couple passages really stood out to me:
As Percy is falling from the arch the Chimera blew him off he says, "I would love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death et cetera....The truth? My only thought was Aaaggghhh!"
This passage struck a chord with me. Percy has this desire deep down to appear in control of the situation. Like Percy, I take on a similar demeanor. When teaching, I try to appear as if I have everything under control. I used to go to GREAT lengths to achieve this. For example: I used to write the entire daily plan on the board outlining what students would learn and what content would be covered. I also dressed in my "best Sunday clothes" every day of the week to appear "credible." Lastly, I had systems in place for what students would do when not having a...pencil, eraser, sharpener, paper, their journal...well I think you get the point. This however turned out to be all an act. In reality, the students did not truly relate to me and felt distant. It was only when I was able to LET GO OF CONTROL that I started truly BEING IN CONTROL.
This is the same paradox that Percy must face. If he admits as he is falling that he is not in control of the situation, it in turn will put his mind at ease and allow him to adapt more readily to the situation once he hits the ground. In a sense I guess I am saying that it's o.k. to be scared.
I also reacted poignantly to Percy's dream. His recurring dream HAS to mean something. He always feels as if he is being "pulled in to the pit." In addition, he alludes to the fact that the characters below are trying to "tell him something." There is something REAL fishy going on here! Those characters are supposed to be the ones he despises and abhors- in reality, they are the ticket to his survival. Like they said, the "Kindly ones" could have destroyed Percy if they wanted to- however, it seems as if they were after something else. "Where is it," they kept repeating.
I am curious as to why everybody is trusting Ares. I mean he is the god of war for crying out loud! He can't be trusted. He is probably leading them into trap after trap!
As Percy is falling from the arch the Chimera blew him off he says, "I would love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death et cetera....The truth? My only thought was Aaaggghhh!"
This passage struck a chord with me. Percy has this desire deep down to appear in control of the situation. Like Percy, I take on a similar demeanor. When teaching, I try to appear as if I have everything under control. I used to go to GREAT lengths to achieve this. For example: I used to write the entire daily plan on the board outlining what students would learn and what content would be covered. I also dressed in my "best Sunday clothes" every day of the week to appear "credible." Lastly, I had systems in place for what students would do when not having a...pencil, eraser, sharpener, paper, their journal...well I think you get the point. This however turned out to be all an act. In reality, the students did not truly relate to me and felt distant. It was only when I was able to LET GO OF CONTROL that I started truly BEING IN CONTROL.
This is the same paradox that Percy must face. If he admits as he is falling that he is not in control of the situation, it in turn will put his mind at ease and allow him to adapt more readily to the situation once he hits the ground. In a sense I guess I am saying that it's o.k. to be scared.
I also reacted poignantly to Percy's dream. His recurring dream HAS to mean something. He always feels as if he is being "pulled in to the pit." In addition, he alludes to the fact that the characters below are trying to "tell him something." There is something REAL fishy going on here! Those characters are supposed to be the ones he despises and abhors- in reality, they are the ticket to his survival. Like they said, the "Kindly ones" could have destroyed Percy if they wanted to- however, it seems as if they were after something else. "Where is it," they kept repeating.
I am curious as to why everybody is trusting Ares. I mean he is the god of war for crying out loud! He can't be trusted. He is probably leading them into trap after trap!
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