One of my favourite forms of symbolism in Percy Jackson, and especially how it’s used in the musical durring “Strong”, is how Sally constantly compares Percy to blue food.
Because to Percy, blue food is just like one of the best things in life. It was something for him and his mom that wasn’t tarnished by the man who abuse them, nor the one who abandoned them. It’s something that makes him happy. It’s something that’s completely unnatural. Something that you literally cannot find anywhere else unless you’re looking for it specifically. It’s unnatural, but it’s loved. Just like Percy.