musings: the battle of the labyrinth
I just finished reading The Battle of the Labyrinth a few hours ago, and I can’t help but contemplating this old and new love-triangle-like ripple between the characters. Because it made me feel a little annoyed at a character I previously quite like, namely Annabeth. Now before some of you come at me with forks, I get where her attitude in this book is coming from. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. And because I haven’t read the last book (though I have seen some spoilers here and there), this longish musing is based on what I have read.
I
The first thing that irked me is the way Annabeth treated Rachel Elizabeth Dare in most of their interaction in The Battle of the Labyrinth.
Annabeth met Rachel for the first time when she was waiting for Percy to go out together. And no later than that, she found out that Percy has trusted Rachel, a mortal, with the information about him being a Demigod. More to Annabeth annoyance, turns out Percy had met Rachel before that.
Now Annabeth might be the daughter of Athena, who is supposed to be clever and wise and all that jazz, but after all she is still a teenage girl, who could get jealous. And jealousy, jealousy makes people do irrational and annoying things.
You could say that her jealousy is out of love for Percy. Who wouldn’t get jealous if at your supposed-to-be-date another girl appears behind your date?
You could also say that her jealousy is because she is being possessive of her friend, which she didn’t have much, and also protective, because said friend had just revealed sensitive information to someone who isn’t supposed to know. Because yes, you can get jealous at your friend’s friend too. If you previously thought that you know your friend well, and that he trusts you and shares things with you, and you think you’re one of a few who is close to him, then suddenly you come to the realization that he also had friend that you didn’t know about whom he also trusts.
Of course at this point Rachel was not really a significant person in Percy’s life. But Annabeth didn’t know that. And the most important thing is, she didn’t bother to know the right story, she just assumed, which lead to her giving grief to Rachel when they meet again.
Granted, Annabeth also gave Percy a cold shoulder. But even though it was also logically unwarranted, I could live with that story line, just like I could live with many other story lines from another books when a person get jealous and push over the object of their affection because of that. Some kind of self-preservation, I think.
The things I couldn’t stand are all that jabs and sarcastic comments she gave Rachel. Because Rachel didn’t deserve that. All that Rachel ever did to this point is helping Percy, and ultimately helping them Demigods.
After that it went downhill for me. At some point Annabeth’s comments rub me in the wrong way. It feels like there’s another reason she dislike the thought of receiving help from Rachel. Because Rachel is a mortal. And the thought of a “mere mortal” being able to understand the Labyrinth more than her, a Demigod, half sibling of the creator itself, who has been spending a lot of time studying the Labyrinth, and who is supposed to lead the team in this mission, get to her.
Every time Annabeth called Rachel “mortal girl”, I just want her to stop. *sigh* Even Percy said that the way she said “mortal” made it sound like it is some sort of terrible condition.
II
Now let us take off to the second part. It’s not as long as the first part. I guess it’s because I can still try to rationalize the situation better in my mind.
This is concerning the fact that Annabeth kept believing the goodness in Luke. It is not wrong to do that of course. Luke is (was) her friend after all, whom she spent her childhood with, and probably had taught her many things. She clearly looks up to him, and even had a crush on him. But sometimes this kind of loyalty can cloud your better judgment too. You failed to see the bad in the people you love. You can’t accept the fact that the one person you looked up to is not as good as you think he/she is.
Mostly I took pity for her about this. But I can’t help to cringe when she started blaming other people. I guess I will have to wait until I read the fifth book to find out whether her belief is true or not, whether Luke can still be saved or not. And with this I mean his soul, not only his body.
I
The first thing that irked me is the way Annabeth treated Rachel Elizabeth Dare in most of their interaction in The Battle of the Labyrinth.
Annabeth met Rachel for the first time when she was waiting for Percy to go out together. And no later than that, she found out that Percy has trusted Rachel, a mortal, with the information about him being a Demigod. More to Annabeth annoyance, turns out Percy had met Rachel before that.
Now Annabeth might be the daughter of Athena, who is supposed to be clever and wise and all that jazz, but after all she is still a teenage girl, who could get jealous. And jealousy, jealousy makes people do irrational and annoying things.
You could say that her jealousy is out of love for Percy. Who wouldn’t get jealous if at your supposed-to-be-date another girl appears behind your date?
You could also say that her jealousy is because she is being possessive of her friend, which she didn’t have much, and also protective, because said friend had just revealed sensitive information to someone who isn’t supposed to know. Because yes, you can get jealous at your friend’s friend too. If you previously thought that you know your friend well, and that he trusts you and shares things with you, and you think you’re one of a few who is close to him, then suddenly you come to the realization that he also had friend that you didn’t know about whom he also trusts.
Of course at this point Rachel was not really a significant person in Percy’s life. But Annabeth didn’t know that. And the most important thing is, she didn’t bother to know the right story, she just assumed, which lead to her giving grief to Rachel when they meet again.
Granted, Annabeth also gave Percy a cold shoulder. But even though it was also logically unwarranted, I could live with that story line, just like I could live with many other story lines from another books when a person get jealous and push over the object of their affection because of that. Some kind of self-preservation, I think.
The things I couldn’t stand are all that jabs and sarcastic comments she gave Rachel. Because Rachel didn’t deserve that. All that Rachel ever did to this point is helping Percy, and ultimately helping them Demigods.
After that it went downhill for me. At some point Annabeth’s comments rub me in the wrong way. It feels like there’s another reason she dislike the thought of receiving help from Rachel. Because Rachel is a mortal. And the thought of a “mere mortal” being able to understand the Labyrinth more than her, a Demigod, half sibling of the creator itself, who has been spending a lot of time studying the Labyrinth, and who is supposed to lead the team in this mission, get to her.
Every time Annabeth called Rachel “mortal girl”, I just want her to stop. *sigh* Even Percy said that the way she said “mortal” made it sound like it is some sort of terrible condition.
II
Now let us take off to the second part. It’s not as long as the first part. I guess it’s because I can still try to rationalize the situation better in my mind.
This is concerning the fact that Annabeth kept believing the goodness in Luke. It is not wrong to do that of course. Luke is (was) her friend after all, whom she spent her childhood with, and probably had taught her many things. She clearly looks up to him, and even had a crush on him. But sometimes this kind of loyalty can cloud your better judgment too. You failed to see the bad in the people you love. You can’t accept the fact that the one person you looked up to is not as good as you think he/she is.
Mostly I took pity for her about this. But I can’t help to cringe when she started blaming other people. I guess I will have to wait until I read the fifth book to find out whether her belief is true or not, whether Luke can still be saved or not. And with this I mean his soul, not only his body.