Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

Hades is the only Olympian god who has no throne or quarters in the gods’ palace. How does this distinction separate Hades from the other gods, both in myth and in his relationship with his siblings? Should death be segregated from the gods who hold power over different facets of life? Why or why not?

How does immortality affect the way that the gods (primordial and Olympian) and Titans view the world and their role in it? What qualities does immortality enhance, and how do these qualities influence who the gods are and how they treat others? Are their responses to human worship and rejection justifiable? Why or why not? Include textual evidence to support your answer.

Using the thematic ideas in The Effects of Power Dynamics, analyze the gender division between the original six Olympians. How do the personalities and behaviors of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades adhere to or deviate from traditional masculine roles? Answer the same question for Hestia, Hera, and Demeter regarding traditional feminine roles. How would these tales of the gods have influenced the people of ancient Greece in both positive and negative ways? Do the effects of this gender division between the gods persist in modern society? If so, how?

Percy links Zeus’s flood in Chapter 11 to the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, adding that every culture has a flood story. What does this connection suggest about the universal nature of storytelling? How do the tales of the gods in this collection reflect the shared experience of humanity to deliver their messages?

Referring to the tapestries that Athena and Arachne weave during their contest, discuss how bias can shape a narrative. Based on the stories in this collection, whose tapestry more accurately depicts the gods, and why? How does Athena’s use of her godly power to proclaim her victory influence how mortals see the gods? Does such influence contribute to the spread of information and disinformation? Why or why not?

Using the thematic ideas discussed in What Makes a Society, explore the link between society and morality. Where do these two concepts intersect? Do the gods have the right to impose societal rules based on their own desires or moral codes? Do humans have the right to refuse the institutions of the gods? Why or why not, and if so, do the gods then have the right to punish humans for their transgressions?

Throughout Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods, Percy cites differences in acceptable behavior between the Olympians and modern-day humans. Choose one of these differences and explore the factors that make it acceptable in one situation but not in another. What roles do immortality versus mortality, power structures, and societal pressures play in whether a behavior is acceptable?

What does Percy’s unique narrative style and humor add to this collection? What is the value of making the stories of the Olympian gods accessible to a modern young audience? Explore the benefits and drawbacks of reading these stories and whether doing so can have a positive or negative effect on the present.