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Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan

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What are some traits of Annabeth Chase in The Lightning Thief?

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Some character traits of Annabeth Chase are strength, bravery, intelligence, and resourcefulness. To a large extent, Annabeth has inherited these characteristics from her mother, the Greek goddess Athena.

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Annabeth is Athena’s daughter, and as such, it’s no surprise that her list of traits includes being an exceptional planner and forward-thinker. She also shares her mother’s passion for construction and building, which is evidenced by her fascination with the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

Annabeth is attractive, and her physical traits include grey eyes that Percy describes as being “startling gray” and curly blonde hair.

Annabeth is particularly intelligent and knows exactly what’s what in their world. It is Annabeth who tells Percy the truth about his father being a god. She proves that she knows more about him than he thinks by betting that Percy has been kicked out of many schools and that he has trouble reading, since “[his] mind is hardwired for ancient Greek.” When Annabeth starts teaching him Ancient Greek, Percy discovers that she is right. This leads us to another of Annabeth’s traits: she...

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is a good teacher, and after just a couple of lessons, Percy is starting to read Ancient Greek texts.

We learn early on that Annabeth is a logical thinker. Instead of being intimidated when Percy displays his powers against Clarisse in the bathroom, she immediately realizes that he would be a great teammate in a game of Capture the Flag.

Annabeth’s interest in getting her own quest—and her determination that she is not too young for one—tells us that she is ambitious and driven. She is confident in her abilities and later tells Percy that she is “the best person to keep [him] from messing up.”

While waiting for the bus in New York, Percy learns that Annabeth has great coordination and dexterity, which makes her an “unbelievable” Hacky Sack player.

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What are Annabeth's physical traits in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief?

As the daughter of Athena, Annabeth Chase possesses grace, beauty, and wit that illuminates Percy's adventures throughout the novel.  When Percy first encounters Annabeth after his traumatic episode with the minotaur, he peers up at her in the golden light and sees a "pretty girl with golden hair, curled like a princess's" (56).  Later, Percy observes that Annabeth is probably close to his age, only a few inches taller, but "a whole lot more athletic looking" (63).  He compares her to a "stereotypical California girl," except for the startling contrast of her eyes, which are an intense gray color.  Annabeth is both strong and cunning, both of which she proves in the camp training games like 'capture the flag.' While not a physical trait, Annabeth also frequently wears her 'magic' Yankees cap which does contribute to her overall physical appearance while on the adventure. 

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