The University of Tuzla Faculty of Philosophy Department of English Language and Literature

The Importance of Understanding of Percy Jackson

Belma Sarajli 7 Dec, 2011 Tuzla

Escapism in Anglo-Saxon literary culture is something many writers have turned their hand to over the years, usually with success. Naturally, vast majority of escapist literature is intended for children; hence Lewis Carolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland, C.S.Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia, J.K.Rowlings Harry Potter series and many others. The latest writer in the line for the throne of the King of Fiction is American author Rick Riordan with his Percy Jackson and the Olympians pentalogy. Riordans work was designed for personal reasons and private use only at first, because his son had been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. However, as his writing progressed, Riordan realised that his work could help and encourage other children living with the same disorder and The Lightning Thief was born. Percy Jackson is a larger-than-life hero who sets a wonderful example for children and teaches adults a valuable lesson. He is not only the hero of the story, but a hero many children look up to, whether they are sick or not, due to his humane qualities. He has courage to admit that he has problems in his life and that he is problematic, and he starts his confession with a bold statement: Am I a troubled kid? Yeah. You could say that. I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it1 He has stamina; he bears his burden of a troubled child, an epithet forced on him by the society, with perseverance and a hint of dignity, and he deals with it every day in a surrounding that does not bother to understand him: Youre already on probation. You know wholl get blamed if anything happens.2 He was raised by his mother and he never met his father, a familiar real-life story, common for so many children and yet so rarely discussed in childrens literature: See, they werent married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.3 Percy is brave and valiant; he fights monsters, saves lives, makes important, life-changing decisions at the gentle age of twelve, but there is one more thing about Percy, something that makes him different from all the other book heroes and that is the fact that he suffers from ADHD and dyslexia. Any childrens book can have monsters and incredible adventures, but this books saving grace is the main character who, regardless of his illness, manages to tackle problems and cross obstacles. Percy Jackson gives hope for all those children who share his condition and who have given up on hoping for a cure or at least decent living among peers. Percy transforms his disability into an enormous physical strength and by accepting that he is different, he does not satisfy with the explanation that he is inferior to others, but that he is better, greater and more privileged than ordinary humans: I have moments like that a lot, when my brain falls asleep or something, and the next
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Riordan, 2005: 2 Riordan, 2005: 3 3 Riordan, 2005: 22

thing I know Ive missed something as if a puzzle piece fell out of the universe and left me staring at the blank place behind it. The school counsellor told me this was part of the ADHD, my brain misinterpreting things. I wasnt so sure. 4 Due to scarce knowledge on ADHD and dyslexia and irrational fear of the same, people tend to mistreat and misunderstand those whose suffer from them. Therefore, dyslexic children are often seen as ignorant, stupid, lazy and trying to shirk from doing their homework or studying, whereas children with ADHD are ill-bred and disobedient. This maltreatment leaves us with sick, misunderstood children who cannot read and do not even have a book hero to relate to, which is a double punishment for a crime they did not commit wittingly. Thanks to gods, we now have Percy Jackson and no child shall ever be neglected or feel as an outcast. Although this book is unique when it comes to its main hero, its magic does not end here because it was not written for dyslexic readers only, but as every good book it delivers a universal message. Its main plot includes celestial characters, Greek gods from Olympus, a long-forgotten pack of human-like gods whose deeds and lives had a great impact on the arts throughout the centuries, but who are not loved by todays middle-school students. Although students loathe studying in general, ancient history is particularly abominable due to the fact that contemporary humans think that the most important things in the world emerged together with the internet and that nothing before its origin matters. With children spending majority of their free time in front of computers and playing consoles and less and less with books, the revival of the ancient history in childrens literature ought to be a matter of priority amongst writers. Riordan managed to merge together ancient myths and modern world and wrap it up in an interesting, but above all comprehensive book for young teenagers. The success of this series proves that children can learn in a fun way and that they love and enjoy that kind of learning. Once again, Percy Jackson proved himself to be an impeccable choice as the main hero of a childrens book because he is far from a brilliant student and he does not care much about school nor studying, but throughout the book he finds his place in the world. He learns that no matter how insignificant something we learn at school might seem it always pushes us one step further to the real world that expects us: What you learn from me, he said, is vitally important. I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson.5 Through this book the young readers will be gently persuaded that teachers are essential in our lives because one learns while one lives. They will gradually come to terms
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Riordan, 2005: 8 Riordan, 2005: 6

with the fact that even middle-school or high-school teachers should not be seen as a necessary evil because one of the noblest professions a man can obtain is teaching others. Due to Percys young age and the fact that the series is depicted as a coming-of-age novel, teachers are always in the vicinity of the main character, ready to help him or at least offer him a word of advice. Therefore, the enticing power the book gains over the reader does not end when the last page is turned and the book is lain on the table because this is not merely an adventurous story but a powerful insight into a 12-year-old extraordinary life that enables the reader to gain a peek in their inner thoughts and enrich them with all the morals that can be gained from The Lightning Thief.

References:

Riordan, Rick (2005). The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Book 1. New York City: Hyperion Books. Wikipedia, wikipedia.org