Exploring The Author’s Message In Rick Riordan’s The Sword Of Summer
The book The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan is the text I have chosen to explore the author’s central message. In the book, Magnus Chase dies while fighting a fire giant, he is then resurrected in Valhalla. He then learns that Fenris Wolf (a bad guy) is going to be released and start Doomsday in seven days. He travels all across the nine worlds, to finally get to the Island of Lyngvi, where the wolf is kept. Magnus and his friends tie the wolf with Andskoti, a rope made from elements that are impossible to get. In The Sword of Summer, Rick Riordan is trying to send this central message to the reader; Stick with your friends to the end.
The first key moment that highlights the central message occurs when Magnus is fighting the Fire Giant, Surt. His friends Blitzen and Hearth and doing the best they can to try and help him. They had a cupid’s bow with some plastic arrows and a Make Way For Ducklings sign. “Dumb and pointless? You bet. But it warmed my heart that they wanted to look after me.” This shows that even though they didn’t have the tools or weapons to fight Surt, they still tried to help Magnus even if it cost them their life. This scene highlights the central message for a few reasons. They were trying their best to help their friend in need no matter what. They also didn’t have the right equipment to fight Surt, but they did anyway, all because they wanted to help Magnus.
The second key moment that highlights the central message occurs when Magnus and his friends were fighting the fire giants on Lyngvi. Three Valkyries showed up to “arrest” Magnus and his friends. They soon realized that it wasn’t their main priority and the giants were. The fought to their last breath to try and delay Ragnarok, also known as doomsday. “I didn’t even like Gunilla. But when I saw Surt standing over her lifeless body, his eyes smoldering in triumph, I wanted to fall down in the pile of bones and stay there until Ragnarok. Gunilla was dead. Her lieutenants were dead. I didn’t even know their names, but they’d sacrificed their lives to buy me time.” This scene has a strong connection to the central message: Stick with your friends to the end. First off, the Valkyries fought to their death for Magnus and his friends to bind Fenris Wolf. This scene highlights the central message because the Valkyries probably could have just left and not died but they kept fighting till they couldn’t anymore.
The third key moment that connects to the central message is when Magnus and his friends are trying to recover Thor’s lost backup weapon. They have to go inside of a giant’s house to recover it. Magnus claimed guest rights which means they can’t kill them. Magnus figured out that he couldn’t get to it without going through a thick metal door that they can’t get through without a giant. Magnus collapses the roof and ceiling with his sword and they then can retrieve the sword. “What are you-” Sam’s eyes widened with understanding. Oh gods, you really are crazy.” Sam thought his plan was crazy. She easily could have walked out on him and not helped him. But she did what was right and stuck with Magnus to the end. Both the scene and the quote from the passage connected directly with the theme; Stick with your friends to the end.
The author wanted to tell us to stick with our friends to the end. This is because a lot of times friends back out on each other. Either they may feel uncomfortable, or just don’t want to be a part of their friend group, etc. Rick Riordan wants people to stick together until the very end. He doesn’t want anyone to back out on each other and not support them.
I agree with the authors’s central message. I agree with Rick Riordan because a lot of times I’ve seen friends back out on each other. Whether it’s at a sporting event or someone’s house, you have to stick together. Friends are essential in life. It makes life much harder on you and it seems everything seems to last forever. If you back out on your friends, you aren’t just ruining your friendship, but your personality and reputation.
