“Love it was that drove them forth. Love that brought them home again. Love hardened their hands against the oar and heated their sinews against the rain. The journeys they made were beyond common sense; who leaves the hearth for the open sea? Especially without a compass, especially in winter, especially alone. What you risk reveals what you value. In the presence of love, hearth and quest become one” (Winterson, 81)
Carson’s little red monster Geryon journeys several times for love, or at least for infatuation. “Sometimes a journey makes itself necessary” (Carson, 46) is stated in the section “Hades”, where Geryon runs away for a time to Herakles’ home to see the volcano. This escapade, while brief, made in Geryon’s teen years is his first journey for love. It is a literal, physical journey to the other end of the island, but I think it also represents a more metaphorical move as well. Geryon is entirely infatuated by Herakles, so he makes a knee-jerk choice to follow him, regardless of the consequences that might arise from that move. One of the consequences, Geryon foresaw and was willing to take, upsetting his mother. But Geryon also got his heart broken on that trip. But from that moment, Geryon places his bets with Herakles, in Winterson’s words, “what you risk reveals what you value” (Winterson, 81).
Years later, Geryon’s priorities remain the same. He hurls himself into another spur of the moment journey with Herakles “beyond common sense” (Winterson, 81). This time, however, Geryon’s choice is even more unusual. Herakles is in a relationship with Ancash, and it has been years since the two were together. Geryon knows both of these facts and still goes to Peru with the pair. He even questions his own motives, “Lima is terrible, he thought, why am I here?” (Carson, 124). Yet Geryon stays because of his desire to be near Herakles. I think “In the presence of love, hearth and quest become one” (Winterson, 81) is a fitting summary of Geryon’s motives. For most of his life, Geryon has felt alone and adrift. But in Peru during this wild unplanned quest to go see a volcano, Geryon has a few moments of contentment and belonging. He seems to find his hearth flying above the volcano and standing in front of the burning bakery.
There is a geographical and temporal irregularity and queerness in Geryon’s actions. When we see choices like his made in romantic movies or novels, we remark on how unrealistic they are. In our day-to-day lives in a temporally and geographically heteronormative society, we don’t go on spur of the moment adventures with our exes and their current partners. But that reluctance falls in line with a normative timeline, where you settle down with someone who has a common geographic convenience to you. They go to the same college, or you work at the same place, live in the same town, or have another shared connection in the way your life is lived. And we don’t interfere with other people’s relationships; polyamory, cheating, even flirting with someone in a relationship are all frowned upon by “nice” society. But both Geryon and our narrator rebel against that. This action that defies social norms and works against traditional conceptions of romance or love are inherently queer and breed new ideas of who we are “allowed” to love.
The decisions we make regarding love, I feel, often don’t reflect that way we feel about the other person but often reflect how we feel about ourselves. Geryon makes questionable decisions, because he has no sense of self, so he follows others. I don’t believe he made these decisions consciously, he made them because making the wrong choice was better than being alone. This is all he knows, for now. He will grow into himself and make conscious decisions, but based on his upbringing, this is harder for him than it may be for others.