The Lost Hero Theme of Identity

Piper, Leo, and Jason all discover their identities in The Lost Hero. They learn, first of all, that they're the children of gods. But more than that, they learn their place in the story. Jason is the only one who really has amnesia (though the others have memory tampering too). But all of them have to figure out what their destinies are and where the book is going. They have to find who they are by going through the book, just like the reader does—learning their identity and their destiny is learning the plot. When they find themselves, they do so, in some sense, as readers: Getting through the book makes them who they are. Leo and Piper and Jason are all you (Check out our thoughts on Jason in the "Characters" section for more on this).

Questions About Identity

  1. Is Jason Piper's boyfriend? Does his identity change depending on whether he is or isn't?
  2. Does Tristan McClean lose his identity when he drinks the potion of forgetfulness, or regain it? How are memory and identity linked in the novel?
  3. Does naming Festus change the dragon's identity? Or does the fact that the dragon has changed identities require a name?