Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Essay Questions

How is friendship explored throughout this novel? List two examples.

Firstly, the friendship between Percy and Tyson shows how friendship can be complicated by pity. Percy befriends Tyson because he feels sorry for him, and once it's no longer convenient for him to be around Tyson, he starts resenting him. Their friendship is only healed because Percy (and, frankly, Annabeth) takes the time to reflect on how important Tyson has been to their journey. Annabeth and Percy are also excellent examples of friendship in this novel: their friendship grounds him, both in terms of her photo reminding him she exists but also in terms of some of his more impulsive behavior.

How does Percy's perception of Tyson change throughout the book?

At the beginning of the novel, Percy feels sorry for Tyson. That quickly changes to resentment when he's claimed as a son of Poseidon, and, embarrassed, Percy closes himself off from Tyson. But after the ship explodes, he reflects and remembers that Tyson was a brave, invaluable friend. Lucky for him, Tyson didn't perish in the shipwreck. But his reflection process shows him that Tyson is not only someone to be accepted in the camp, but someone who deserves to be accepted by him specifically. Moreover, he's someone that, at the end of the book, Percy is proud to call his brother.

What is the logic behind Luke choosing to side with Kronos, and why might demigods be able to relate to it?

Luke thinks that the gods are cruel and that demigods ought to stand beside Kronos so that they can start over. The main reasoning behind his argument that the gods are cruel, besides the actions they take that put humans in danger, is that they're horrible parents who don't care about their families. This view is strongly shaped by his experience of Hermes, who was never a good parent to Luke. This situation probably resonates with a lot of different demigods. While there is an understanding that the gods have a limit on how much time they can spend with their kids, gods often don't even bother to claim their children.

How does Percy navigate the concept of family?

Although Percy and his mom have a wonderful relationship, he struggles to connect with the non-mortal side of his family. Though he's fine with Tyson being his friend, being his brother seems like too much for Percy. He doesn't connect with his dad, either, and often sees why characters like Luke are so angry at their godly parents. Percy's non-mortal relatives have, in many senses, only made his life more complicated, and often they don't seem to care about him in return. Yet Tyson and Poseidon, in their own way, show up for Percy to the best of their ability, and his friends become a second family to him.

How is Thalia's return foreshadowed throughout the book?

While we don't learn of Thalia's return until the end of the novel, we get hints. For example, we know that Thalia's tree will be an important part of the plot since healing it is the goal of Percy's quest, and the characters discuss Thalia frequently. Annabeth once compares Percy to Thalia, wondering what it would be like if they met in person one day. In more subtle hints, the book lets us know that the Fleece can bring people back to life by telling us that Luke plans to use it to resurrect Kronos, and there are multiple instances where we learn that we might not know all of Kronos's plan. Finally, in one of Percy's dreams, we meet a girl who, as we discover by the end, is actually Thalia.