Many have studied Greco-Roman mythology sometime during elementary school, how the world came to be and how natural occurrences resulted in dire consequences from blaspheming the gods and other ancient philosophies. Today's youth have the privilege of immersing themselves in the world of Rick Riordan's masterpiece: Percy Jackson And The Olympians and its sequel: The Heroes Of Olympus novels; reiterating Children's literature is very interesting to read during our younger years; though many gems are hidden within these interpretations and stick out when reading as an adult such as the Heroes Journey and Archetypes. Simply put, this genre of storytelling is nothing more than adult stories that were watered down to exemplify the comprehension and complexity of the violent stories within the oral tradition. The book series Percy Jackson And The Olympians; the well-known fables are compressed into more relatable situations for children to comprehend. Incorporating children, and portraying the dilemmas that they face in the world of the gods, dims the difficult areas of Greco-Roman mythology that even adults are unable to perfectly comprehend, and shines a light on the important facts—the dualistic proponents present from both a mature and juvenile standpoint. We are all aware of the gods and goddesses and their mighty power above all rule, though within these stories and from an adults perspective one is truly able to read between the lines and see the world differently compared to younger readers. That is the gap between and the importance of generations.
Proceeding, the true power is the generational mindset and expectations established by our society and innate drives. Any generation succeeding the previous is often coined in negative connotations; take the “millennial" cohort: more often than not these members are perceived as lazy, stuck-up, know it all's with technology glued to their hands—when in reality they are a bright and ambitious bunch that grew up during an interesting time. A time when technology was booming, though not as efficiently advanced as it currently stands. The real interest though is that of the “iGeneration" or commonly known as “Generation Z" that are the successors of the latter and, next to the "Millennials," the future of the world. The current co-dominant generation is often coined as less impressed and desensitized to actual occurrences in the world, yet it is far from the truth. They are open-minded about everything and even more entrepreneurial and more culturally diverse and accepting of change and justice-minded; much like the demi-gods of Percy's world.
In addition to the power each generation posses, the characters that fascinated me within these novels and truly hold more reverence are Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, mostly, though all of the characters within these two series are going through and experiencing different hurdles (much like adolescence in its entirety). Through Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung's philosophy, seeking out our personal archetype or essence of being like the characters Percy or Annabeth. For instance, brings forth our inner-selves and our strongest version. Percy Jackson represents that of the Hero archetype--ultimately, a Hero is one who is able to transcend the bounds and illusions of the ego, rather, the aspect of that mediates between instinct and morality. Annabeth, on the other hand, exemplifies the explorer archetype--rather, inquisitive folk that maintains a strong interest in understanding the world and sharing what they learn with others.
Lastly, it is evident that Rick Riordan did a fabulous job bringing the beauty and aggressive attributes of the ancient world in modern-day tales. I feel today's generations are feeling the brunt of everything as technology bares its many heads quite forcefully and modern-day monsters cannot be vanquished with a sword in hand--but through experience, drive for the future and progress. The relatability felt page-after-page is uncanny and believe it a message worth following. For starters, the times have changed and technology is literally everywhere—within our fingertips or staring directly back while ranting that A.I's creep over our shoulders; collecting data until the world finally snaps. Being a Demi-god, rather, half deity and half mortal means possessing technology like a cell phone or computer spells danger as the monsters of old can track you down and do what the oral tradition has labeled them as—namely splintering and mending the world over and over. It's doubtful today's generation possesses any such mystical power.
Overall, each generation carries its weight and importance in the world; if only we let growth take place and allow for generational stereotypical thinking to end. Literature is definitely a path into cross-generational understanding, and though a genre might be intended for children; it can always bring out the child in you and perceptiveness only life can teach you.
