Analysis of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Essay -- Character, Greek

The fact that Percy Jackson has friends is incredible. It’s an unshakable fact that any friend of his within a ten mile radius will be in a life or death situation with him by dinner, and they aren’t always so lucky as him. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Over the course of the five-part contemporary young adult series Percy Jackson & The Olympians, titular character Percy Jackson must embrace his Greek God parentage and save Olympus with the help of his fellow demigods. The aim of this paper is to discuss his Hero’s Journey throughout the series, provide an in depth character analysis, and draw parallels between Percy and the three classic Greek heroes of mythology: Perseus, Theseus, and Hercules. The first novel of the series, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief , is where Percy’s Hero’s Journey begins, encompassing the first five stages. The Ordinary World, the first stage, is the introduction of the main hero. â€Å"The hero, uneasy, uncomfortable or unaware, is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma† (Campbell). Percy Jackson, a twelve year old diagnosed with both dyslexia and ADHD living in New York with his loving, over-worked mother and abusive stepfather, begins his story attending a boarding school for â€Å"troubled youth† and having a less than spectacular time being the new kid. Despite his good intentions of protecting his only friend Grover from a bully, Percy gets in trouble at school and is pulled aside by one of his teachers, whom is revealed to be the Fury Alecto, one of Hades’s servants in disguise. It is at this point in the story in which the second stage, The Call to Adven ture, comes into play. Percy defeats the Fury with the help of a centaur named Chiron, t... ...Journey and examine the heroic parallels between Percy Jackson and the great Greek heroes Perseus, Theseus, and Hercules through a timeless lense. Works Cited Campbell, Joseph. "The Hero's Journey Outline." Hero's Journey. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. . Eliade, Mircea. "In Search of Cupid and Psyche: Chapter Two." In Search of Cupid and Psyche: Chapter Two. Harper & Row, 1 Jan. 1963. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. . Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson & The Olympians. Neu bearb. Ausg. ed. Hamburg: Hyperion, Print. Wistrom, Elizabeth . "Percy Jackson: Character Analysis." Bright Hub Education. N.p., 20 Jan. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. .