*cover art curtesy of Kai Edwards (kai_arts44)
Introduction
Annabeth: “A gift from my mom.”
One of my favorite aspects of the Percy Jackson TV adaptation can be found in the introduction of Annabeth’s relationship with her mother Athena1. As a Black Athena girlie (and apologist), nothing made me happier than to watch Annabeth break her serious demeanor to brag about the gift her mother gave her. Showing off her hat to Percy with a childish delight not often expressed. In fact, this exchange is the first time Annabeth volunteers any personal information about herself, completely unprompted (and irrelevant). And it’s about something her mom gave her. It’s such an adorable and incredibly soft moment. It reminded me of the way a kid shows off a teddy bear their parent bought them. She truly loves her mom. It’s gentle and tender. But love is a double edged sword. It can be the source of our strength as well as the site of our greatest weakness. However, the relationship between mother and daughter is not immune from the growing pains of adolescence. True to this, the series does capture this tension of Annabeth being caught in her mother’s expectations and the burgeoning of her own identity. This is achieved over the course of three consecutive episodes (ep. 3 - 5) that comprise a sort of mini arc relating to Annabeth’s relationship with Athena2. Within this mini arc, we learn not only just how much Annabeth loves her mom, but how distant her relationship with Athena appears to be. Athena herself is indirectly characterized as unaffected and punitive (especially in her actions during the fourth episode). The outcome prompted questions from characters and viewers alike as to whether the goddess is a good mother.
But the nature of this love and tension between Annabeth and Athena is not without comparison. Similar dynamics between young Black girls and their mothers can be observed in coming of age movies such as Sister Act II: Back in the Habit (1993), Miss Juneteenth (2020) and Alma’s Rainbow (1994). Additionally, these parallels not only exist on a narrative level but also in the sociological patterns as explored by Patricia Hill Collins in her book, Black Feminist Thought3. Using this mini arc as my anchor, I’ll not only explore Annabeth and Athena’s relationship with each other but how we might better understand their relationship within the larger existing canon of Black mother-daughter dynamics in real life and in media.
I can hear the chorus of race blind fans now, “what does race have to do with it?” and “Athena isn’t Black!”4. Well frankly, Annabeth just isn’t giving me “white mom” energy. In any sense, race is especially crucial in this discussion. Since we are dealing with a Black girl, it is necessary to approach this discussion in context of her social identity. In fact, the characteristics of Black mothers in Collins’ work share similarities with that of Athena (in the TV series, at least). Like Athena, these mothers might be described as disciplinarian, authoritative and unaffectionate. Collins, however, provides historical and cultural context to reframe these mothers and their motivations. I intend to use her work to likewise deliver a fair and more accurate analysis of Athena as a mother5.
A Higher Love
Annabeth: “This is how you Athena your love. A monument to the power of perfection.”
Annabeth’s love for Athena just can’t help but spill out of her. Her reverence for Athena as both mother and deity informs her every action and motivation. She wants to make her mother proud. It’s only natural for a child to desire that from their parents. This desire expresses itself almost in a religious capacity from Annabeth. This is especially exemplified in episode four, wherein Annabeth leads her friends to safety at the St. Louis Arch, an Athenian temple6. Her wide eyed adoration is on full display as she not only gushes about the architectural marvel but what it represents. According to Annabeth it is a criterion of “how you show Athena your love”. Love, as Annabeth understands it, is communicated not through words or physical affection but in action and demonstration. Therefore, to express love to her mother is to perform acts of high achievement or “perfection”. Not only is this reflective of socialization towards high achievement amongst Black families, it is also deeply religious. Her understanding echoes the words of Mathew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deed and glorify your Father in Heaven”. The sense that we show God our love and glorify him by the deeds we do is parallel to Annabeth’s ambitions. To accomplish this quest would not only prove her prowess as a demigod but give glory to her mother (in contrast to Luke who wants the glory for himself).7
On the other side of this coin, is this equally intense fear of dis-honoring Athena. Annabeth places significant value in the idea of “perfection”. It’s reflected in how she characterizes She deems the Arch, the supreme demonstration of love to Athena, a “monument to perfection”. But perfection is a double edged sword. In her eyes there can be no room for error. This idea of being Athena’s mistake is especially striking when considering that children of Athena are intentionally created. To be a mistake would be an offense at an existential level. It’s a lot of pressure for a 13 year old girl. But it clues us in on why Annabeth is so hard on herself and her friends. It colors everything she does. She refuses to call camp for help, because to ask for help would mean to admit “it was a mistake to choose [them]” for the quest. In her mind, achievement equates to love and worthiness and the stakes are extremely high. It’s why Echidna's message rattles Annabeth’s confidence and sense of self. She made a mistake. She dis-honored her mother. Her attempts to resolve this result in the ultimate act of religious devotion: sacrifice. What greater demonstration of love is there than to present herself at the altar of Athena’s temple and face down the Chimera, also known as the “Demi-god Killer”? In this way, her love for her mother is not only her greatest motivation but her greatest vulnerability.
How Will I Know?
Echidna: “…because that’s what a good mother does for her children. Not that you would know.”
But love is a leap of faith. Like any journey of faith, Annabeth’s faith in Athena is tested. As the season developed, the subject of Athena/Annabeth became less interested in Annabeth’s love for her mother but in whether her mother loves her back. This question is initiated when Annabeth comes face to face with one of Athena’s former disciples and most notorious monsters: Medusa. Like Annabeth, Medusa worshiped and loved Athena8. Like Annabeth, Medusa’s devotion was met with silence. Such a dynamic and parallel is enacted visually with Annabeth and Medusa framed not only in opposing directions from the other but surrounded by dead space. Drawing attention to the elephant not in the room. Matters are further aggravated by Percy calling out her inability to call her mom and Echidna essentially labeling Athena as a deadbeat mom. By the time they arrive at the St. Louis Arch, Annabeth has been fighting for her life in defense of her mother. However, she is not impervious to doubt and insecurity. When she is alone with Percy she hesitantly opens up: “I know you think it’s just all in my head. That…that I tell myself my mother cares just because it’s easier that way”. Interestingly enough, Annabeth here echoes the sentiments of other Black daughters of emotionally distant mothers. As Collins notes, in situations where Black mothers may not be as affectionate as their counterparts, Black girls still “love and admire their mothers and are convinced that their mothers truly love them”.
However, encountering other forms of mother-child relationships such as Percy/Sally Jackson and even Echidna/The Chimera, clearly has left Annabeth questioning her own mother-daughter relationship. Her insecurity bubbling up to the surface. Again, Annabeth is not alone in this insecurity and doubt of a mother’s love. Collins finds that Black daughters sometimes have to grapple with the contrasts between idealized and traditional images of motherhood versus the more untraditional and less perfect mothers they did have. In this case, growing up for Black girls includes “developing a greater understanding that even though [they] may desire more affection and greater freedom, her mother’s physical care and protection are acts of maternal love”. Despite public opinion of Athena, both within the show and in online spaces, Athena does provide this. It’s what truly separates Annabeth from Medusa and even Luke at the end of the day. It’s why Annabeth continues to believe in Athena’s love. She has proof of Athena’s physical care and protection all in the form of her invisibility cap. But, when placed in the context of Athena’s relationship to her mother, Annabeth’s hat wields greater evidence of Athena’s attitudes and affection than one would initially suspect.
Despite prevailing belief that the almighty Zeus just thought Athena up in his head, she did in fact have a biological mother. Two Greek writers, Hesiod of the Theogony9 and Chryssipus the philosopher, confer on just how Athena came to sprout from Zeus’ cranium10. Once upon a time, Zeus was involved with a Titaness named Metis, goddess of wisdom, prudence and deep thought (remind you of anyone?). But, as always, there was a catch. In classic Greek fashion, Zeus learns (via prophecy) that Metis will bear him two children: a girl equal to her father in wisdom and strength, and a boy that will not only surpass his father in strength but usurp him as King of Gods and Men. If this is starting to sound just a tiny bit familiar, wait til you hear how Zeus plans to stop the prophecy: he swallows Metis11. However, unbeknownst to Zeus, Metis lived and was already pregnant. It is within Zeus’s head that she gives birth to a gray eyed baby girl. Knowing her growing daughter would not be able to hide in the recesses of her father’s mind forever, Metis forges her daughter a weapon that would protect her: a helmet. It is in this helmet that Athena springs forth out of Zeus.
With this as context, Athena’s own gift to Athena reveals itself to exist in a chain of mothers protecting their daughters. This is how she knows to protect her daughter. It’s how her mother protected her. More directly, Athena’s gift to Annabeth is an act of love. It just may be the only way Athena knows how to express it.
A Mother’s Love
Florence Watson: “Singing does not put food on the table. Singing does not pay the bills.”
But a mother’s love can be oppressive as it is protective. These mothers know the dangers waiting on the other side for their girls. Their anxieties, fueled by lived or witnessed experiences of oppression toward Black female bodies, are channeled into their daughters. They push or restrain out of love. Everything they do then is to prevent the worst case scenario and ensure their daughters survival. So that they could have a better life than they did. All their hope, pride and fear is invested in an imagined plan for their daughters’ lives. Deviation from this plan, might then be received as disobedience. That’s when anger enters the conversation. At times it is easy to view Angry Black Mothers as antagonists or unloving. But anger is not the absence of love but at times an expression of it when seized with fear. This frustration is on behalf of their labor and hopes. We see this frustration present itself through fictional Black matriarchal figures in Sister Act II, Alma’s Rainbow and Miss Juneteenth. In these films, the matriarchs impose punishments and restrictions on their daughters not out of contempt but from legitimate fear and concern for their future well being:
Sister Act II: Rita’s (Lauryn Hill) dead father failed to make it as a musician in life and her mother, Florence (Sheryl Lee Ralph), has made it her mission to prevent the same fate for her daughter. Instead, she directs Rita’s focus to her academic studies with the intention of her obtaining a college education and pursuing a real career.
Alma’s Rainbow: Alma and her sister used to be dancers. But facing financial issues, Alma quit dancing to open up a hair salon to pay the bills. Her frustration with her equally talented daughter, Rainbow, comes from trying to prevent her from making the same mistakes. Again, with a stern focus on academic accomplishment.
Miss Juneteenth: Turquoise (Nicole Beharie)12 was on her way to obtaining a college education on behalf of a scholarship from the Miss Juneteenth pageant, when she became pregnant with her daughter Kai and had to drop out. Having witnessed just how easy it is for life to derail one’s plans for advancement, she not only is hyper vigilant of her daughter’s romantic relationship but of Kai’s extracurricular interests as well (i.e the dance team).
Reiterated, although their actions are obstacles meant for the daughters to overcome, the mothers themselves are not villains. They are just being realistic. Just like the mothers in Collin’s research, this pragmatism stems from the work they’ve had put in to secure their daughters’ survival. Their anger then is a reaction to what they perceive is antithetical to said survival.
I argue it is this form of love-anger that is demonstrated by Athena in episode four. Just like the mothers previously highlighted, Athena’s wounded pride and ire might find its roots in concern for the wellbeing of her Black daughter. Let’s take into consideration the phrase “you have wounded your mother’s pride”. What could wound Athena’s pride? One would assume that for this to be accomplished it would have to be an intentional act not only carried out by Annaeth, but that inflicted some kind of embarrassment or shame. But as we and Percy are quick to remember, Annabeth didn’t send the severed Medusa head to Olympus, Percy did. He even signed his name. Annabeth posits that her infraction was in not stopping Percy, because she knew better. But how could that be enough to wound Athena’s pride? The answer: association. Watching that scene took me back to vivid scenes from my childhood. I don’t know about you, but I for sure grew up in a household where my siblings and I were strongly cautioned against just being associated with trouble. Even if we ourselves were not directly involved, where there is association comes perception. Perception is power. For children of color (especially Black children), the wrong kind of perception is enough to place a target on their back. What Percy may think of as a semi-harmless prank, might actually be a legitimate threat to Annabeth’s survival. The pride Athena has in Annabeth is her ability to make smart decisions that ensures her survival. From Athena’s perspective, for Annabeth to know better and still fail to stop Percy (to be fair she had a good reason - keeping her mother’s hat) would not only be embarrassing but infuriating. But who or what could possess such a threat that would rattle Athena, the goddess of war craft? Zeus.
Could it be that Athena, like many generations of Black women in this country, has negotiated her place in the system to survive? I mean, Zeus ate her mother because the idea of her and her unborn brother was a threat to him. Instead of taking him head on, wouldn’t it be strategic, wiser even, to align herself with him as an ally? Just as Black women who served in domestic roles catering to the dominant groups (White people), Athena’s service to Zeus can be considered an act of survival. But this service also gave Black domestics a glimpse into “the dangers awaiting their daughters”. This informed and fueled their emphasis on survival and safety for their little girls. Athena’s parallel position by Zeus’ side similarly gives her exclusive access to the threats that would endanger her children. Chief among them being Zeus himself. Like in generations past, Athena might rather prefer her daughter to navigate and negotiate within the system than to outright challenge it. And we are quite familiar with how Zeus responds to those who stand to challenge his authority. Lest we forget, the King of the Gods was all too ready to zap an unarmed 12 year old boy with his MASTER LIGHTNING BOLT. The threat is very real and all too likely. Part of me can’t help but wonder if a small part of Athena’s anger in episode four was out of the fear she might be unable to completely shield Annabeth from Zeus’ fury. She’s not Poseidon.
Breakaway (Take a Risk, Take a Chance, Make a Change)
Rita: “Momma did you know I can sing?”
But for how long must daughters live in the shadows of their mother’s mistakes and anxieties? Caught in a tricky tightrope act, the daughters in these films must straddle their individual desires with deference to their mothers. In Miss Juneteenth, despite being forced to register for the pageant and recite the same poem her mother did when she competed, Kai asserts her agency by performing the piece as a dance (something actively discouraged by Turquoise). In Sister Act II, regretting her decision to quit the choir, Rita forges her mother’s signature on the field trip consent form. In Alma’s Rainbow, Rainbow decides to try out for a dance troupe secretly against her mother’s wishes. In this way, the daughters take a chance on themselves and their own journeys, at the risk of disappointment or disapproval from their mothers. We begin to see this very spirit bloom within Annabeth towards the end of the fifth episode.
To grasp the weight of Annabeth’s turn in episode five, we must look back at episode three. Not only do these episodes act as bookends for this mini arc, they exist in direct conversation with each other. Centering around the question of generational cycles, Annabeth is presented with two perspectives: Medusa’s optimism for change vs Hephaestus’ cynical belief in the inevitable. In each episode, Annabeth is confronted with a decision to either adhere to the standard set by her mother or to challenge them. Paramount in these decisions is the presence of love.
In Annabeth’s eyes, to love her mother is to emulate her. It's a childlike mindset. How many of us said we wanted to be just like our parents when we grew up? It’s also a religious approach to love. To love God is to act in his manner. To be like Jesus. Annabeth performs this quite adeptly in her interactions with Medusa. She’s literal and absolute. When Medusa tries to put a positive spin on her petrifying abilities, Annabeth stands ten toes down defending that what her mother did “wasn’t a gift, it was a curse”. Additionally, this exchange illustrates how Annabeth views herself in relation to Athena. She’s an extension of her. Not only is this a benchmark for Annabeth’s perspective of her relationship with Athena, it informs her actions at the end of the scene.
Faced with either accepting Medusa’s side of the story or rejecting it, Annabeth doubles down on the latter. In denying Medusa, however, Annabeth not only sides with her mother but steps in her shoes. She declares “that is not what happened. And you are a liar”, in a tone of voice coated with self-possessed authority. It’s not just a denial, it’s condemnation13. I like to imagine that Athena looked and sounded just like that right before she cursed Medusa14. Furthermore, Annabeth’s actions do not appear to be wholly indicative of her personal attitudes and belief toward Medusa. Consider her first words after Medusa’s story: “That isn’t what happened. My mother is just, always”. Instead of vocalizing personal doubt in Medusa’s narrative, her rationalization is based on Athena. It’s not about what she thinks, it’s about standing by her mother. As earlier established by Medusa, loyalty and love go hand in hand for Annabeth. There is greater emotional motivation to stand by Athena than to consider the alternative. Her mother’s path is her path, therefore her mother’s foes are her foes. Regardless if she personally would have believed Medusa, her refusal to separate herself from her mother automatically prejudices her against Medusa. Megan Thee Stallion sums it up best in “Otaku Hot Girl”:“they’re not pro-you, they’re anti-me”. In this case, the inverse is true. Annabeth doesn’t reject Medusa’s story solely because she doesn’t believe her, she just really loves her mom.
In contrast, in episode 5, we observe a shift in her stance. “Ares is that way. Zeus is that way. My mother is that way…Maybe I was that way once. But I don’t want to be that way anymore. I won’t be like all of you. I just won’t”. For the first time, we see Annabeth expressing reproach toward her mother. Quite the significant development coming from the girl who said she’d always stand by her. The emphasis on the “I” in the following statements is striking. She is drawing a line in the sand, identifying herself as separate from her mother. However, her speech implies something more potent. Repudiation. There’s this desperate conviction in her voice. “I just won’t”. On the cusp of establishing her value system, she realizes those values don’t neatly align with that of Athena. What ensues is a struggle for Annabeth’s sense of self. Again we encounter the same tightrope presented to Rita, Rainbow and Kai. To turn back and ignore them would be a denial of self. On the other hand, she risks her relationship with her mother by not conforming. But absent from this dilemma is her love for her mother. It’s not that Annabeth no longer loves Athena. That love just is not relevant to her decision. By separating her love for her mother from her own agency, she learns to create space for her-self. Just because she loves her mother, doesn’t mean she has to be like her.
Repair and Reconciliation
Cynthia Raines (mom): “There’s nothing you can do that will make me stop loving you.”
The love between mothers and daughters is soft…like raw skin. It’s sensitive to the touch and stings upon first exposure to air. But it’s what’s left after you peel away the dead skin and blisters.
It is not easy to step out and lay a path for yourself. But daughters are not their mothers and must seek a life that is their own. There will be blood and even tears. But this is crucial if their relationship is to move forward. In reconciliation, both mother and daughter find themselves emotionally vulnerable and raw. It is here that they can begin to understand each other. When Rita sees her mother backstage after the performance, she immediately begins to apologize for her disobedience. But Florence stops her, “Just stop. You’re incredible. And I’m proud of you. I’m very proud of you”.
In Alma’s Rainbow, recognizing that it is her daughter’s turn at life, Alma comes to respect and encourage Rainbow’s ambitions. On the morning of Rainbow’s audition, she can’t help but marvel at the adult her daughter has become.
In Miss Juneteenth, following her loss at the pageant, Kai tearfully apologizes to her mother for wasting all her hard work. But Turquoise just wipes her daughter’s tears admitting that “all this time I’ve been trying to make you Miss Juneteenth, but you always been Ms. Kai Marie Jones. Queen of it all”.
Each of these moments are deeply emotional but wouldn’t be possible without shedding the dead skin of their relationship. Even the ground must be broken before a new road can be built.
Repair is a word that is often used in my house. I cannot tell you how many times my mom and I have had to “repair” after one of our bouts. But each time our relationship came back stronger and healthier. She isn’t a goddess punishing me for the severed head of Medusa or prohibiting me from singing in the school choir but I recognize the insoluble mixture of deference and frustration.That static charge hanging in the space between us. I know the catch in my breath, wondering “Have I gone too far? Maybe this time we won’t recover”. But in the aftermath of the thunder and lightning there is always rain. The sudden downpour of catharsis, making cracked earth fertile once more.
Unlike the examples presented in the aforementioned films, we do not yet have a satisfying emotional reconciliation between mother and daughter in. However, I believe the show has already begun the first steps toward a new kind of relationship between Athena and Annabeth. As Annabeth begins this journey, I am curious to see just how she will establish her own path separate from her mother’s. Which may or may not be the easiest pill for Athena to swallow. But I’m sure once they peel off the dead skin they’ll both find that it’s all love underneath.
“Enough about that delinquent and his deadbeat father” ~ Athena, (probably)
Nicole Beharie I need you to pick up the phone!
“Black Feminist Thought” by Patricia Hill Collins
Nicole Beharie I am begging you. PICK UP THE PHONE!
To be clear, I am in NO WAY saying she’s mother of the year.
Finding a way to bring your heathen (secular) friends to church is TEXTBOOK Church Girl behavior
There is a whole ‘nother conversation to be had about the role of religious communities in the raising of Black girls - in Sister Act II and Alma’s Rainbow, both daughters attend Catholic school.
The OG Athena Church Girl
Here’s a helpful comparison of the two narratives
I guess the apple truly never falls far from the tree.
Oh, funny seeing you here Nicole! And looks like you already have experience playing a stern but loving mother. What a coincidence!
She’s not just serving brat…she’s serving Judgement! (I had this joke planned long before the Charlie XCX album but it’s funny that it became a trend)