As a new addition to the class, I'm quickly trying to catch up with the reading, so please excuse my brief comments on Anne Carson's book.
I had no idea what to expect as I picked up this book but I have been pleasantly surprised. Geryon, though quite a difficult character to identify with (as a young, male, red-winged monster), connected with me in ways I never anticipated. His tormented love story with Herakles is powerful and my absolute favorite part of the book is when they first meet as Herakles steps off of the city bus. Carson writes, "Herakles stepped off the bus from New Mexico and Geryon came fast around the corner of the platform and there it was one of those moments that is the opposite of blindness. The world poured back and forth between their eyes once or twice" (39). Though not really a traditional love story, I can't help but be attracted to the odd relationship these two form.
I think this is a book that needs to be re-read to really grasp its meaning. With every re-reading, the reader has a chance to grab something new from the text -- something relevant to life.
Confusing things: the significance of red in this book--obviously it is important, hence the title. Can anyone help me with this? Also, the monster thing -- is Geryon the only one who is a red winged monster? Are others monsters? Do people think it's weird? Does it even really matter?
Thanks! Happy to be a part of the class.
Sara
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2 comments:
I think the significance of red is that Geryon is so frustrated and, under all the pain, so angry at the world in which he lives; that would explain why he is red and always sees red in everything else.
Going along with that, I think it is really intersting to note the several differnt meanings that red can have. It is a very emotionally intense color and can have several different affects on people. It generally stimulates human energy and appitite. It can be a sign of danger as well as a representation of strength, power, passion, desire or love.
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