House of Hades Theme and Summary

Theme- One of the many themes of Rick Riordan's House Of Hades is that one must choose their own path.  This is illustrated in House of Hades when Annabeth talks to Damasen, '''The Prophecy of the Seven,' she said. Percy had already climbed out of the bed and was shouldering his pack. He frowned at her. 'What about it?' Annabeth grabbed Damasen's hand, startling the giant. His brow furrowed. His skin was as ruff as sandstone. 'You have to come with us,' she pleaded. 'The prophecy says foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.  I thought it meant Romans and Greeks, but that's not it. The line means us - demigods, a Titan, a giant. We need you to close the Doors!' The drakon roared outside, closer this time. Damasen gently pulled his hand away. 'No, child, he murmured. 'My cruse is here. I cannot escape it.' 'Yes you can,' Annabeth said. 'Don't fight the drakon. Figure out a way to break the cycle! Find another fate.' Damasen shook his head. 'Even if could, I cannot leave this swamp. It is the only destination I can picture.' Annabeth's mind raced. 'There is another destination. Look at me! Remember my face. When your ready, come find me. We'll take you to the mortal world with us. You can see the sunlight and stars.'"(Riordan 314-315)  And we see Damasen's decision when it says, "The Maeonion drakon spread its frilled collar and hissed, its poison breath filling the battlefield with the smell of pine and ginger. It shifted its hundred-foot-long body, flicking its dappled green tail and wiping out a battalion or orges. Riding on its back was a red-skinned giant with flowers in his rust -colored braids, a jerkin of green leather, and a drakon-rib lance in his hand. 'Damasen!' Annabeth cried. The giant inclined his head. 'Annabeth Chase, I took your advice. I chose myself a new fate.'"(Riordan 524). This illustrates the theme because Damasen is a giant a son of two evil forces- Gaea(Mother Earth) and Tartarus (the abyss)- he was born to oppose Ares, war god, so he is the opposite of Ares so Damasen is peaceful and gentle Damasen was crused because he helped mortals. His curse was that every day he must defeat the Maeonion drakon. Annabeth pushes him to break the cycle of the curse to choose his own path, to be who he wants to be. That he can overcome his curse all he needs to do is to believe in himself and build his own path.

Summary- Percy, Bob, and Annabeth are traveling through Tartarus when they come upon arai. If you kill these monsters you will receive a curse of someone you killed that they made with their final breath. Percy of course kills several before learning his lesson. Leaving Annabeth blind(curse from Polythemus) and abandoned (cruse from Calypso). And himself eye twitching, sides bleeding and poisoned with gorgon blood. Bob eventually was able to kill the remaining arai and both he and Percy ran over to Annabeth. Bob touched Annabeth and cured her curses. Bob also tried to heal Percy but the gorgon blood poison was too strong and they needed to find someone to heal Percy. Bob being a Titan knew where they could find someone to heal him. They reached Damasen's hut and Damasen heals Percy and Annabeth tries to convince Damasen to join them on their quest to find the Doors of Death. Their discussion was cut short when the drakon came back and Polybotes ( the anti- Poseidon giant) was on their heels and they had to keep moving to avoid a confrontation with the giant because even though Percy had defeated Polybotes before he and Annabeth were in no shape to be fighting a giant.