62 pages • 2 hours read
Rick RiordanThe Last Olympian
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2009A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Symbols & Motifs
Dreams and Visions
Dreams and visions are a prominent motif in The Last Olympian and relate to the novel’s theme of interconnectivity. Dreams serve various purposes, the first to reveal the past and help the characters better understand each other. For example, Percy travels to May Castellan’s house in order to better understand his perceived enemy, Luke. Outside of the house, Hestia shows Percy a vision of Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth when they were younger. This vision helps Percy better understand his enemy. Similarly, Nico conjures up a vision to explain his early life, of which he has no memory. He glimpses a scene in which Zeus blows up a building and his mother dies. Thus, learning about the past allows these characters to better understand their present selves.
Dreams and visions also allow characters to see what is happening in the present in different locations. Percy has many of these visions, and early on in the novel he notes: “I dreamed Rachel Elizabeth Dare was throwing darts at my picture” (63). This vision allows Percy to relate to Rachel’s current feelings of frustration with him. Later, he sees Rachel writing his name in the sand after she receives a revelation about him. These visions also speak to the deep bond between Rachel and Percy—they both have visions relating to what the other is doing.
Other visions reveal the future. Rachel has a vision of herself as the Oracle and knows she must travel to Camp Half-Blood to put it into action. Years before the events of the novel, Hermes has a vision of Luke’s trajectory. He knows that his son will fulfill the prophecy, and he needs to let the vision play out. In this case, visions of the future must be respected and allowed to bloom.
Magical Objects
Magical objects surface frequently as a motif. Some magical objects offer aid and healing powers. For example, ambrosia is a food which can “heal demigods” (132). Percy first gives it to Nico in the Underworld when the latter’s powers are fading. Annabeth also eat ambrosia after she is wounded in battle. Another object that offers aid in battle is the video shield. It is one of Daedalus’s inventions, and “the shield bends sunlight or moonlight from anywhere in the world to create a reflection” (165) so that one can see invaders. The demigods make use of this object during their battle in Manhattan to see their enemies and plan accordingly.
Other objects are used to destroy rather than heal and aid. Most of the demigods and gods have their own personal weapons with special powers. For example, Percy has his sword, Riptide: “Riptide was no longer a sword. It was an arc of pure destruction” (138). Even when he loses Riptide in battle, it magically finds its way back to him. Similarly, Kronos has his scythe, which is even more powerful than most others’ weapons. A weapon is essentially a crucial extension of the bearer’s power. In the end, Kronos’s scythe turns into Backbiter, Luke’s sword. With Backbiter, Luke is able to defeat Kronos. Thus, these objects of destruction are emblematic of the power of those who possess them.
Magical Creatures
The novel is full of magical creatures, some of which are helpful and provide aid to the Olympians. Mrs. O’Leary is a hellhound, but she is loving towards Percy and aids him on his mission by shadow travelling. She behaves much like a large dog: “She ran along the beach, picked up a random human leg bone, and romped back toward [Percy]” (117). There are also other creatures like satyrs, dryads, and centaurs who aid in the war efforts. For example, Percy describes Juniper: “She was pretty in a dryad-y way, with her purple gossamer dress and her elfish face, but her eyes were green-tinted with chlorophyll from crying” (81). Although her appearance is drastically different from the demigods’, she is nonetheless a trusted ally and a resource for aid. Furthermore, Chiron the centaur serves as Percy’s mentor. He is half man and half horse, yet he still possesses the wisdom and guidance the demigod requires.
Furthermore, there are many magical creatures that act as nemeses throughout the novel. The Titans send out many terrifying beasts in an attempt to defeat their enemies, and they are often larger versions of normal animals. One of Percy’s first battles on Kronos’s ship is with a giant crab, and Percy defeats it. Later on, in Manhattan, Percy faces the Clazmonian Sow, a “winged lady pig” (248). He must ride of the back of another helpful creature, the pegasus, in order to defeat her. One of the final magical creatures the demigods face is the drakon: “Their eyes can paralyze you; not the turnyoutostone Medusa-type paralysis, but the ohmygodsthatbigsnakeisgoingtoeatme type paralysis” (287). Giant beasts are emblematic of the negative forces attempting to defeat the Olympians and demigods.
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