Geryon's Wings (Symbol)
When Geryon’s wings appear in the story, they serve to puncture the illusion of realism in the story, marking him as an otherworldly and mythological creature. But most of the time they are forgotten, and the pervading sense of Geryon is as a moody, introspective teenager whose low self-esteem has typical origins. When we learn that Geryon has to wear a back brace and “lashed the wings tight” to conceal them beneath his jacket, the wings become a symbol of physical difference, drawing attention to the arbitrary physical traits that people are taught to feel ashamed of. When we learn that Geryon has been denying himself the freedom of flight, we see how much he wants to fit in and be loved. At the end of the story, his wings are a potent symbol of freedom in self-acceptance, as Geryon, who “has not flown for years,” suddenly decides “why not,” and takes flight (145).
The Marble (Symbol)
In Geryon’s early childhood, his older brother initiates an abusive “economy of sex for cat’s-eyes” (28). Geryon's brother claims that Geryon owes him sex because he has gifted him a cat’s-eye marble, and young Geryon doesn’t know how to refuse or refute that claim. The marble is a symbol of innocence and childhood, ruptured by the exploitative economy that his brother establishes. It is also a symbol of unequal exchange and imbalance of power, as his brother uses the “gift” of marbles—and threats—to ensure Geryon’s compliance and silence.
Volcanoes (Motif)
Volcanoes appear continually throughout the story, and, along with the color red, are its most persistent motif. Volcanoes have a variety of symbolic associations: destruction, creation, passion. They are an ancient danger and a surprising source of fertility and ecological abundance. As Autobiography of Red is foremost a romance, the volatility and power of the volcanoes that color this story are most often affiliated with romantic passion. They are a symbol of the heart. We see this kind of metaphoric language when Geryon lays in bed “pondering the cracks and fissures/of his inner life” (105). In this chapter, called “Kiss,” a “healthy volcano is an exercise in the uses of pressure.” An unhealthy volcano is one in which “the exit of the volcanic vent is blocked by a plug of rock, forcing/molten matter sideways along/lateral fissures called fire lips.” Geryon is squeezed by heartache, and the pressure of suppressing it builds up inside the volcanic terrain of his inner self. Like a volcano, he requires the release of self-expression. Geryon expresses himself most often through photography. At the end of the story, Geryon’s “eruption” of freedom is when he takes flight, and imagines being photographed as he soars above a volcano.
T-shirts (Symbol)
As a moody teenager spending less and less time at home, Geryon is informed by his mother that she "put some clean T-shirts in your top drawer this afternoon" (42). Geryon dismisses this information, insisting that his T-shirt is clean, and is supposed to be ripped. He leaves that night to meet Herakles, and they spend several weeks together in Hades. When he finally returns home, heartbroken after his relationship with Herakles has ended, his mother compliments his T-shirt, and Geryon responds that "Herakles gave it" (68). His T-shirts are a symbol of his maturation and independence, as well as of caretaking. Both his mother and Herakles have given him T-shirts, but he pushes his mother away, and Herakles pushes him away. His T-shirts are wrapped up in conflicts of love and independence.
The Fruit Bowl
When Geryon returns home after his relationship with Herakles ends in heartbreak, he sits down with his mother in the kitchen. Abruptly, he begins to rant about the fruit bowl on the table. “Why is this fruit bowl always here?... It’s always here and it never/has any fruit in it. Been here all my life never had fruit in it yet. Doesn’t / that bother you? How do we even/know it’s a fruit bowl?” (68) This monologue expresses his pent-up dissatisfaction with the love his family has to offer. The empty fruit bowl is an allegory for his mother’s failure to nurture and protect him, particularly against his brother’s abuse. He continues: “How do you think it feels/growing up in a house full/of empty fruit bowls?” This is the most direct confrontation Geryon ever has with his mother about the pain of his childhood. They laugh until they start to cry, and then move on to ordinary topics. Though the real subject of Geryon’s despairing rant is never addressed, the relief of finally expressing how he feels is palpable.
