74 pages • 2 hours read

The Titan's Curse

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2007

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Chapters 16-20

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Percy’s Impulsive Decision-Making

Percy often follows his instincts, making impulsive decisions without necessarily thinking through the problem that he faces. At the beginning of the novel, his decision to pursue Dr. Thorn and the di Angelos leads to tension between him and Thalia. The daughter of Zeus blames him for Annabeth’s disappearance, telling him, “If we’d stuck together, we could’ve taken him without the Hunters getting involved. Annabeth might still be here. Did you think of that?” (33). Then, later, he leaves his post defending the demigods’ flag during Capture the Flag, and Thalia blames him again for losing, almost leading to an all-out fight between the two of them.

When Mr. D warns him about how heroes are dangerous, insisting that heroes “take what you want, use whoever you have to, and then betray everyone around you,” Percy begins to think more carefully about his actions (134). He thinks his actions through more, especially after learning about how Hercules used Zoë. In the final battle with Atlas, he realizes the limits of his own abilities and is willing to sacrifice himself by holding up the sky so that Artemis can fight the Atlas.

Ancient Creatures Stirring

As The Titan’s Curse is the midpoint in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, the overarching plot of the battle between the Olympians and half-bloods against Kronos and the Titans continues to build. Frequently, references are made to ancient monsters. Dr. Thorn mentions it early in the book, saying, “The stirring of monsters […] The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known” (21). Artemis also explains how monsters reconstitute themselves and return after being destroyed by the Greek heroes of myth.

Bessie the Ophiotaurus is one example of an ancient creature that returns. When the Titans fought the Olympians, the Ophiotaurus was killed. Now, 3,000 years have passed, and once again the Titans can sacrifice her and attain the power to destroy the gods. However, Percy, Thalia, Grover, and Zoë can protect him.

Flaws and How They Threaten the World

Each hero has a fatal flaw that could lead to their demise and to the demise of the gods. Thalia’s appears when she nearly joins Luke and Kronos, especially as Luke reminds her of her resentment of Zeus for his absence from her life. Atlas manipulates Artemis using her flaw to get her to take the sky from Annabeth, saying, “Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist helping a young maiden. That is, after all, your specialty, my dear” (107). Because Artemis is such a vocal supporter of preparing for war against the Titans, having her out of the way would make it easier for Kronos to overthrow the gods. As a result, strategically, Artemis should not have taken Annabeth’s place; however, as Atlas suggests, her flaw is her need to help young women. Athena points out that a flaw like this can be the “most dangerous” because “[e]vil is easy to fight. Lack of wisdom…that is very hard indeed” (298). Though she says this about Percy’s flaw, which is his loyalty to his friends, the same can be said for Artemis.

When Athena points out Percy’s flaw, Percy gets defensive, especially when she states that she does not approve of his friendship with Annabeth. She was also in favor of killing Percy and Thalia because their flaws could become a threat to Olympus and to the world if the Titans win the war. As the goddess of wisdom, it is in Athena’s nature to point out these dangers, and her warning expresses the fear that other heroes will follow in Luke’s path and work against the gods.