The Sea of Monsters

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Although Tyson has some negative characteristics, he also has several positive ones.

• How does Tyson demonstrate his strengths and weaknesses in The Sea of Monsters? (topic sentence)
• Identify 1-2 strengths and 1-2 weaknesses, then discuss the scene in which these occur using examples from the text.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, consider how Tyson accepts his strengths and weaknesses and arrives at self-acceptance.

2. In The Sea of Monsters, Hermes tells Percy that the gods can only help demigods indirectly because getting directly involved would create more resentment among their children.

• How do the gods indirectly help the demigods in the novel? (topic sentence)
• What do Hermes and Poseidon each offer Percy to indirectly help with his quest? Use 2-3 examples from the text to support your claim.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, consider whether the gods could have helped more and what the consequences would have been for additional aid.

3. The Sea of Monsters reveals two opposing views of the gods.

• What is the merit of each of the opposing views of the gods in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Compare and contrast Luke’s view to Percy’s view. What do they each believe? What do they each want to do?
• In your concluding sentences, consider which view of the gods you agree with, and discuss how the opposing view creates tension and suspense in the plot.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. The characters in The Sea of Monsters sometimes allude to Homer’s The Odyssey as a fictional history of real events for demigods. In what ways and to what extent does the audience’s view of a story as truth or fiction impact their understanding of the story’s message? How might the morals in The Odyssey be different for mortals and demigods? Cite your argument with quotes from the novel.

2. A monster is often defined as an unusually large or strange creature that threatens or terrifies others by way of its ugliness or cruelty. Consider the fact that Tyson calls himself a monster in Chapter 6. How does Tyson’s understanding of the word “monster” impact the way he views himself? Does his character align with this definition or with the other characters’ understanding of the term? Do you agree that Tyson is a “monster”? As you develop your ideas and compose your response, use specific examples from the text to support your claims.

3. The demigods and the monsters in the novel have abilities related to both their immortal and mortal parents. Find 1-2 examples of a character demonstrating abilities obtained from one of the gods, then compare and contrast these abilities with the abilities the same character has that came from their mortal parent. What is the significance of having abilities from both mortal and immortal parents? How do these characteristics create tension in the story or enlightenment within the characters? What do these abilities tell us about gods and mortals?