How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"If you were a god, how would you like being called a myth, an old story to explain lightning? What if I told you, Perseus Jackson, that someday people would call you a myth, just created to explain how little boys can get over losing their mothers?" (5.126)
Gulp. We've always thought of the stories of Greek gods as being myths. But Chiron makes an interesting point here. The gods in The Lightning Thief are definitely not myths. They're present all the time, listening and fighting and weighing in on matters. They are so foolish and rash sometimes, they almost seem human. Being labeled as "myths" seems to wipe away any sense of true identity from the gods. This label almost makes them less powerful.
Quote #5
"Who are you, Chiron? Who…am I?"
[…]
"Who are you?" he mused. "Well, that's the question we all want answered, isn't it? But for now, we should get you a bunk in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to meet." (5.193-195)
What does Chiron mean here? Isn't Percy a half-blood? We thought we established that already. Chiron seems to refer to another aspect of Percy's personality that he hasn't figured out yet: his mortal parent. The identity of a demi-god is very dependent on who his/her mortal parent is.
Quote #6
"Because I know you. You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us." (5.139)
Annabeth is a good guide to a very confused Percy. By virtue of finding and entering Camp Half-Blood, Percy learns a whole lot about himself and what he is capable of. However, it takes another half-blood, Annabeth, to really help him understand what being at Camp Half-Blood means. Percy has spent most of his life as a loner – he doesn't know what it's like to be part of a community.