THREE
REASONS WHY PERCY IS A LIKABLE CHARACTER
HUMBLE BEGININGS
In the book Percy Jackson and the lightning thief by Rick
Riordan, although it was very brief, Percy (the main character) is introduced
as a below average kid who seems to mess everything up. Having ADHD, Percy
wasn’t able to focus in school which was a concern for his mother even though
she loved him no matter what he did “When she looks at me, it's like she's
seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad.” Percy comes from a place
where most teens can relate to due to new technology and other fancy things
that distract us from school. So we understand what he feels like especially
when he is failing a math test; we’ve all been through that situation. This
connection helps us go through the same experiences as Percy throughout the
book, at least in our heads. Also, he doesn’t remember his dad which relates to
most kids in North America who live with a single parent. This plays a crucial
role when Percy loses is mother to a Minotaur because the reader feels
empathetic to the situation and overall starts to root for Percy. Percy comes
from a very humble background, allowing him to be grateful for simple things in
life.
WRITING STYLE
Rick Riordan has a unique style of writing which affects the character
likability either positively or negatively depending on how it is interpreted.
The book starts off with a brief explanation of who the character is and jumps
straight into action. Due to this different approach of writing, it could be
taken as if Percy is not an important enough character to go through the time
and explain his personality. However, the story is narrated by Percy himself so
we could interpret it like so many things were happening and with the
combination of his ADHD may cause his narration to be a little unpredictable.
“If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think it's fiction, great.
Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.”
This is an example of Rick’s unique writing style which also includes the text
to be as if someone were actually speaking to you and this lets the reader
build a connection with Percy since he is the narrator.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
Another common thing that helps the reader make positive connections with Percy
would be the challenges he overcomes and how he does them. Percy relies mostly
on natural instinct whenever he is stuck in a tricky situation. For example,
after the Minotaur “kidnaps” his mother, Percy was only able to defeat the
beast because he let his instincts guide him. However, throughout the book he
starts to control the skill that he usually has when almost nearly faces death
and acts on instinct. It is like being able to control when you want adrenaline
to pump through you, giving you extra strength on demand. Percy is able to do
this because he starts to act less selfish and puts others before him. This new
way of thinking makes him progress as a hero. Seeing these changes Percy goes
through, the reader’s connection becomes stronger since it shows that Percy is
doing his best to overcome his challenges.
In conclusion, Rick Riordan does a great job setting up
characters especially for Percy. Percy’s background plays a deciding factor on
whether we see it as a typical plot or a means of making a connection with him.
The writing is informal in some parts which makes it easier to connect with the
main character. Also, making Percy overcome his internal conflicts shows his
true nature which is humble and honest and they are very likable traits.
