User blog comment:SallyPerson/Where is Everyone? This is Important Stuff/@comment-1886094-20100812202852

TATN: Same!!! But I just enjoyed doing my summer reading assignment: (I had to do four questions, but I did all of them either because I am a geek or a PJO geek, or both). Here were the questions: Throughout the book, there are certain names that characters hesitate to say because they think names have power. What are some of these names? What do they have in common? Explain your opinion on this topic: do names have power in our world today? Give examples from life to support your point. 2.               Chiron refers to America as the modern Rome. Explain why he says this. Do you believe that this is true? Explain your opinion. 3.               Percy meets several monsters throughout his journey. Explain why they keep reappearing even after he “kills” them. Then, relate this to real life. Obviously, we don’t face actual monsters in real life, but some of our symbolic monsters keep reappearing. Give an example from your life. What is your monster and why does it keep reappearing? What do you do to             fight it? 4.               Echidna says that the Greek gods are faithless, and that Percy has no faith. Explain why she says this about the Greek gods. Explain how they are different from our God. After she says this, Percy asks his father for help and takes a literal leap of faith. Describe a time when God has helped you make a “leap of faith.” 5.               The novel portrays disappointment with the way humans are taking care of the earth. Describe examples of this in the story. Then, explain how certain gods feel about this and relate it to how our God feels about it. What does God expect from us in taking care of the planet? What do you do to take care of the earth? 6.               The ancient Greeks believed that after death, all people went to the Underworld and then to              different places within it based on the kind of life they had led. Explain what the “Fields of             Punishment” and “Elysium” would be in our religion, and then explain what your own personal “field of punishment” and “Elysium” might involve. 7.               Explain why humans aren’t able to see the immortals or monsters in the book. How might you apply this to real life? (Are there different versions of reality? Explain.) 8.   People are often surprised by the ways others affect their lives. By the end of the novel, Percy learns this life lesson through his “friends” Clarisse and Luke. Explain how both of these characters affect Percy’s life in surprising ways. Then, discuss a person who has affected your life in an unexpected way. 9.    If you have seen the film version (which is NOT required), compare and contrast the film with the book. Also explain which you prefer and why.