Opposition to Authority

Many of the characters in this book are gods. Gods are symbols of authority. Riordan uses other characters’ interactions with the gods to demonstrate anti-authoritarian attitudes in the various protagonists in this story. Furthermore, Riordan’s depictions of the gods in this book present them as flawed, so their powerful statuses are undermined throughout the book.

The first instance of flawed authority being presented occurs in Odin’s story at the beginning of the book. Odin’s narration begins with an analogy that involves an ax and a “decapitated head” (3) to describe the nature of people with power and those without it. Odin asserts that he is typically the ax in this relationship, suggesting that Odin considers himself to be a consistently powerful figure. However, in his story, Odin admits that he has been the decapitated head. Since this occurs at the beginning of...