8 Parallels for Donor-Conceived People in “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”
“‘Who are you?’ he mused. ‘Well, that’s the question we all want answered, isn’t it?’”
I read The Lightning Thief for the first time in sixth grade. It’s no surprise that, as a donor-conceived person processing the recent revelation that my parents had conceived me with a known sperm donor, I found myself in the pages of a book about a middle schooler who had just discovered the truth of his own mysterious parentage. Percy’s attempts to wrestle with his ever-shifting feelings of rejection, indifference, hope for connection, and anger towards his recently discovered biological father were struggles I was all too familiar with. Percy was the first fictional character who shared feelings and experiences similar to those I tried to stuff down and forget. In a 2010 interview with The Guardian, author Rick Riordan says, "We tend to think of divorced or complicated families as a modern invention, and that is not at all true. You only have to read the Greek myths to see broken homes, widows, divorce, stepchildren, children trying to get along with new parents." This presentation of complicated families and “trying to get along with new parents” in a modern format with a relatable main character was incredibly validating, and the series has always held a special place in my heart.
In anticipation of Disney+ dropping the first two episodes of the recently released Percy Jackson and the Olympians adaptation, I decided to re-read the beloved series late last year. I remembered relating my own experience as a DCP to some of Percy’s less favorable feelings about his biological father, but I was surprised by how many other parallels I found throughout the series that could be relatable to the experiences of DCP. The first paragraph of The Lightning Thief even tells the reader to “Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.” Here are 8 situations that Percy finds himself in that DCP might find familiar.
Percy Jackson meets his biological father for the first time.
“His hair was black, like mine. His face had that same brooding look that had always gotten me branded a rebel. But his eyes, sea-green like mine, were surrounded by sun-crinkles that told me he smiled a lot, too.”
2. And they’re not quite sure what to make of each other.
“I got the feeling Poseidon really didn’t know what to think of me. He didn’t know whether he was happy to have me as a son or not. In a strange way, I was glad that Poseidon was so distant. If he’d tried to apologize, or told me he loved me, or even smiled, it would’ve felt fake. Like a human dad, making some lame excuse for not being around. I could live with that. After all, I wasn’t sure about him yet, either.”
3. Percy discovers a half-sibling.
“It’s just… I never had a half-brother before.’ I tried to keep my voice from cracking. ‘It’s really different for me.’”
4. He even debates about the appropriateness of Father’s Day gifts.
“I wondered if maybe I should’ve sent Poseidon that seashell pattern tie for Father’s Day after all.”
5. Percy learns that not everyone finds out who their biological parent is.
“‘They have a lot of kids and they don’t always… Well, sometimes they don’t care about us, Percy. They ignore us…’
‘Some don’t even realize they’re half-bloods.’”
6. Percy finds that not everyone is willing to keep that status quo.
“The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest.”
7. He advocates for an end to anonymity and the importance of disclosure.
“‘No more undetermined children,’ I said. ‘I want you to promise to claim your children—all your demigod children—by the time they turn thirteen. They won’t be left out in the world on their own…’
‘No unclaimed demigods will be crammed into the Hermes cabin anymore, wondering who their parents are.’”
8. And, in Percy’s case, the institution listens.
“‘Percy Jackson,’ Hermes said, ‘you might just teach us a thing or two.’”
Throughout the series, you see Percy’s relationships with his biological father, his half-brother, and the institution that created him shift and evolve over time. The story also delves into complex relationships with raised parents, being viewed as a gift, differences in approach to policy change within the community, differing views on who your parents are, varying types and timings of disclosure, and a wide range of feelings about the people who had a hand in their conception.
This is just a small sample of the parallels I noticed in my re-read. (I highlighted nearly 70 sections through all five books that I could relate to my own experience with donor conception, or experiences others have shared with me.)
The TV series, which is available to stream on Disney+, was able to introduce new insights that the book lacked such as a visual of what it’s like to sit down with a parent and discuss the truth of your conception.
I found that the show’s format by nature lacks many of Percy’s internal monologues, which really help expand on the resemblance between his experiences and those of DCP, but both the book series and the show offer an opportunity to connect to a fictional character facing similar circumstances.
Despite being aimed at children aged 9-14, I was surprised by how healing it felt to re-experience this series, and the complex emotions and relationships within it, through adult eyes. If you’re curious about this series and other books with themes related to donor conception, check out our Bookshop or Amazon lists consider joining a book group!
Mandie D. (she/her)
is a queer, latina, donor-conceived person who was raised by same-sex parents. In her free time, she enjoys singing her way through entire musical theatre soundtracks, baking with her partner, and snuggling with her cat.
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