The novel reintroduces to Peleus, who was earlier lauded for his kindness. It says a lot about this society that Peleus would be considered kind given the story of his marriage to Thetis. The gods essentially sanctioned a sexual assault, and Peleus went along with it in order to better his own prospects and secure a powerful son. Even though Thetis is a goddess able to shape-shift, she’s still powerless in this situation. Her virginity is apparently a significant part of her, because once she’s no longer a virgin, she has to stay with Peleus. The prophecy about Peleus’s son, who won the race earlier in the novel, establishes the relationship between Peleus and his son as essentially the exact opposite of the relationship between Patroclus and his father: Peleus’s son can literally never disappoint him and will always bring Peleus honor and status.