The Sea of Monsters

The Sea of Monsters offers two opposing views of the gods and of modern-day western civilization. Luke wants to destroy the gods and their world to build something better, whereas Percy believes in the world the way it is. Who do you agree with, and what arguments from the text convince you that side is right? Do you believe both sides have merit? If so, what elements of each side do you agree and disagree with? Why? What elements of the godly/western world would you rebuild, if any?

In Chapter 11, Clarisse explains Ares was able to provide her with a ship because the vessel was a warship that sank. Compare and contrast the confederate ship with the Princess Andromeda that Poseidon provided Percy and his friends. What do the differences say about each god and their relationship with their children?

Percy, Annabeth, and the others face many obstacles in The Sea of Monsters. Rank them in terms of most dangerous to least. Why did you choose this order? Support your response with evidence from the text.

Demigods and monsters possess abilities related to their godly parent. At various points in The Sea of Monsters, monsters and demigods demonstrate abilities not related to their godly parent. Examine these moments. Which abilities do the characters take from their non-parent? What god might the abilities come from, and why do those abilities manifest where and how they do? What might this suggest about the gods?

In The Sea of Monsters and the rest of the Percy Jackson series, Riordan makes connections between monsters and elements of capitalism, such as consumer culture and competitive markets (chain stores versus privately-owned establishments). Do you think Riordan meant to make this analogy? What does Riordan say about monsters and capitalism by making such a comparison? Do you agree or disagree with the links Riordan draws between monsters and western civilization? Why or why not? Support your argument with evidence from the text.

Thalia’s history states Zeus transformed her into the tree overlooking Camp Half Blood because she was near to death. At the end of The Sea of Monsters, the Fleece separates Thalia from the tree, yet the tree remains standing. What does this say about Zeus’s power, the strength of the Fleece, and Thalia’s powers as a demigod? Do you think the tree should have disappeared with Thalia? Why or why not? Support your argument with evidence from the text.

In Chapter 6, Tyson calls himself a monster because he’s a cyclops. Later, the group encounters Polyphemus, also a cyclops, in the Sea of Monsters. Based on the creatures in the book, what defines a monster? Do you agree or disagree with this definition? If you disagree, how would you change the definition? Do you think Tyson is a “monster”? Why or why not? Support your position with evidence from the text.

No answer is given to Hermes query in Chapter 9 to whether or not truth has a moral. Throughout the book, the characters refer to Homer’s “Odyssey,” a fictional work among mortals, as a history of events that actually took place. Do you think truth has a moral? Does it depend on whether a given audience views a story as truth or fiction? How might the morals of the story Hermes tells in Chapter 9 and the tales in the “Odyssey” be different for mortals and demigods?