Beginning in the first chapter, there is a line that separates the first sentence of Geryon’s autobiography from the rest of the verse. This separation continues until the final interview at the end of the novel. The purpose of the introductory sentence is not static. Some chapters use this technique to summarize information that follows, while others utilize it as a transition sequence from the title to the body of the text. I find this the implementation of this sentence fascinating because in a novel without predictable or traditional punctuation, each of these introductory phrases ends with a period.
These succinct introductory phrases may serve as a metaphor for the isolation that Geryon consistently experiences throughout the novel. The dividing line is a physical manifestation of the symbolic barrier that isolates a red winged monster from his elementary school peers, mother, and lover. Throughout the flux of the novel, these curt phrases are kept constant. Anne Carson’s implementation of these divisions represent that no matter how hard Geryon tries to blend into the expectations of society, he will always be hindered by a rigid, unsurpassable wall. The lack of punctuation throughout the prose that follows the introductory statement may represent the flux of life that Geryon is consistently trying to blend himself into. Geryon’s hindered journey through the chapters of his life mirrors the isolated style of each introductory sentence, “Eventually Geryon learned to write.” (37), “Somehow Geryon made it to adolescence.” (39), “Somehow a journey makes itself necessary.” (46). The harsh punctuation and bolded lines that fragment Geryon’s journey from a growing child to a traveling adult simultaneously define his lonely identity as a little red monster.