the Titan's Curse

The third installment of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Titan’s Curse, by Rick Riordan, follows Percy as he hunts for the trapped goddess Artemis, as well as his best friend Annabeth Chase. In the Titan’s Curse many characters try to search for freedom, and escape responsibilities, which sometimes may seem selfish.

                One example of this is Bianca di Angelo, a young girl brought into the world from another time period. Bianca is a sweet young girl, who has spent her life caring for her younger brother Nico, a task that has become a burden to her. While Bianca loves Nico, it is hard for her to continually protect him because it restricts her from having her own life. When Bianca is offered a spot in the elite group, the Hunters of Artemis, she gleefully accepts, leaving her brother and responsibilities behind. “I wanted my own life and friends. I love Nico- don’t get me wrong- I just needed to find out what it would be like not to be a big sister 24 hours a day”. While I know she is doing this for her own good, something I greatly admire, it strikes me as selfish. She really hurts Nico when she leaves him behind, and doesn’t leave much of an explanation as to why. By escaping her responsibilities she shows a more selfish side of her, which eventually eats her up with guilt and, SPOILER ALERT, (if you haven’t already read the book, which I highly doubt, because it’s one of the most awesome series ever!!!) she dies trying to rectify her guilt.

                An example of a good cause to escape responsibilities is Thalia. Thalia is the daughter of Zeus, and being fifteen, almost sixteen, the Great Prophecy could very well be about her. However, Thalia doesn’t want that responsibility on her shoulders, because she’s afraid she could go rogue and turn on the gods if such power were to be put in her hands. Thalia instead, lets the prophecy fall on her close friend, and main character of the book, Percy. “I will not turn sixteen tomorrow. I will never turn sixteen. I won’t let this prophecy be mine.” While I think this is a very brave and sensible thing to do, I think she does not think about how much this will affect Percy. The prophecy being put on him, puts him in even more danger than he already is, and trust me, it’s A LOT. By basically giving up the prophecy and dumping the problem on Percy, Thalia forces something major and life altering on him. (And yes, I realize this was just a clever plot decoy to get Thalia out of the way. Smart one, Mr. Riordan. May I call you Rick?) Thalia shows that she can escape responsibility by pinning it on someone else.

                In the Titan’s Curse, characters desperately try to find their destiny, pushing away the responsibilities destiny may carry. Sometimes, like in Bianca’s case, it can be a bit selfish. Or like Thalia, it’s a noble cause, but it still does not bode well for someone else. Both ways, responsibilities are escaped, and there is always a negative side, whether it’s for the character who tries to escape them or not. Personally, I think that you should accept responsibility head on, because I find it’s easier to deal with problems when you have fully accepted that they are yours. You shouldn’t escape responsibility but face it head on.

Lillian Cheever, The Fault in Our Stars

Lillian's amazing blog post!

                After skimming through numerous blog posts, I managed to find one exceptionally great. This post was by Lillian Cheever, and I believe it was titled, “The Fault in Our Stars.” Now, a couple months back, I had read The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green as my YA book for the beginning of the year, and had absolutely loved it, so I was interested to see what someone else’s opinions on the book were.

                Lillian’s views on The Fault in Our Stars broadened my mind to idea’s I had thought about, but hadn’t really taken much time to think about. One idea focused on the book inside The Fault in Our Stars, An Imperial Affliction, which focuses on a cancer ridden teen like Hazel, Anna. “Although she never mentions feeling close to Anna, you can tell by the way she talks about the book and its characters that she does feel close to her. Most importantly, you can tell that she does care, mostly about the people around her.” Lillian says that she knows Hazel cares about her friends and family because, “she is so obsessed with figuring out what happens to Anna’s parents after she dies.” I hadn’t thought about it in those terms.  In my mind, they had kind of been two separate things that joined at a different point. An Imperial Affliction, or AIA as it is sometimes known, helped Hazel see that not all cancer kids had to do the typical ‘help me raise funds for cancer research’ thing, but instead could look at cancer in a more sadistic humor the way Hazel did.  I never really viewed it as a way Hazel could feel validation for leaving her family and friends behind. However, Lillian changed my insight on this point, and it made more sense to me afterwards. “She claims she did this because she really likes the book, but I think she made this effort because (since she connected with Anna so deeply) she thinks that figuring out what happens to Anna’s family will tell her what will happen to hers.”

                Another point that Lillian made, was in her conclusion. The whole concept of The Fault in Our Stars centers on what happens after you die, and living life to the fullest. B.A. or before Augustus (her amazing friend who opens her eyes to a whole new way of living life) Hazel tried to distance herself from everyone and everything, so as not to hurt as many people when she “kicks the bucket”. Lillian’s point on this is, “I believe that when you pass, people are glad to have known you, and yes, they will be sad, but it is part of human nature is to miss people or things, without that we would be much more heartless and careless.” While I think this is a valid point, part of me wants to disagree. And it’s the stubborn part that wants to block out feelings. I’m one of those people who are absolutely terrified by death, and when I was eight I watched my Grandpa die. I watch my mom sometimes, still be sad, and this big part of me wishes he hadn’t died just so that she wouldn’t be sad. I see Hazel’s point for secluding yourself so you don’t hurt many others, because I don’t want someone walking around for the rest of their lives with the weight of my death on their shoulders.

                I really enjoyed reading Lillian’s blog post, it helped me expand on my ideas on The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green. Rereading this article made me remember how much I loved it, and I think I’d like to reread it again with this new perspective.

Emma by Jane Austen

                The novel Emma, by Jane Austen tells the tale of a young woman, Emma Woodhouse, as she finds her way through maidenhood in the early eighteen hundreds.  Much of this book centers around assumptions, and most of them are quick jump to conclusion moments. All of these showing that while Emma may think she knows everything, she isn’t always right, and her first intuition on the subject may not always be the correct one.

                One of the best examples of this is towards the beginning of the book. Emma befriends a young lady named Harriet. Her parents were never known to her, and she was raised in a boarding school where she was taught to be ladylike. Emma decides to take Harriet under her wing and teach her to be the very example of a proper young woman. Emma wants to first, heighten Harriet’s ways of life, by raising them to the standards of Emma’s. And secondly, the more important part of the plot, find Harriet a suitable husband. Emma settles for Mr. Elton, a man of high standing, though Emma thinks he is not high enough quality to turn down Harriet. Emma invites him over to her abode many days, making sure Harriet spends as much time with Mr. Elton as she can. She pushes Harriet on him so hard, that she does not realize that Mr. Elton does not find Harriet at all an interesting suitor, and instead Mr. Elton tried to pursue Emma.  When Emma realized her mistake she did not blame it on herself, but Mr. Elton for not realizing, “Encouragement! I give you encouragement! Sir, you have been entirely mistaken in supposing it. I have seen you only as the admirer of my friend. In no other light could you have been more to me than a common acquaintance.”

                Emma never seems to really grasp how bad her assumptions hurt not just herself but others as well. When pushing Harriet on Mr. Elton, she pushes Harriet away from another suitor. A kind young man who seems to be very taken with Harriet, and whom Harriet seems to be very fond of herself. But Emma pushes these thoughts away from Harriet, and makes Harriet fixate on a man who will never love her.

                Emma’s quick assumptions not only harm herself, but her friends as well. She hurt Mr. Elton in her rejections, Harriet in Harriet’s rejection as well as the fact that Harriet lost a man that she wanted to marry. Emma’s thoughts of trying to help others blindsides her from people’s true wants. Sometimes seeing things for what you want, and convincing others of it isn’t the right thing to do because it can hurt people in the end. Emma’s selfish wants prevailed in this situation, and instead of helping people as she intended, she ended up hurting them.