Overcoming Invisibility

Overcoming Invisibility

Abhirami Sankaran

2/3/2023

The Percy Jackson series follows a group of demigods as they complete quests and journey to various mythical realms. The series borrows heavily from various Greek epics and situates them within the modern world. In the series, one of the main characters is a girl called Annabeth Chase. She is a daughter of Athena (the discrepancy from mythology is explained in the series) who accompanies the protagonist Percy Jackson on most of his adventures. Throughout the series she carries around a Yankees cap which grants her invisibility, a gift from her mother. This cap carries symbolic significance. Annabeth first ran away from home at the age of 8. She survived with the help of some friends, one of which functionally died to get her to safety. Ever since she has been trying to prove herself. She wants to be taken seriously and in such an endeavor, she often hides aspects of herself. The cap is symbolic of this, it allows her greater tactically mobility but at the price of partial individuality. As the story progresses Annabeth becomes more sure of herself and her abilities. She gains confidence and is able to truly rely upon herself. Simultaneously, she builds deeper relationships with those around her as she begins to heal from her experiences. Eventually this culminates in her cap losing her ability. In the story in which this event occurs, she is required to undergo a series of trials which force her to stand completely on her own using only her wit. In doing so, she symbolically proves that she no longer needs to hide any aspect of herself. The cap no longer serves a purpose. 

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