Geryon Relationships

Their friendship was quite remarkable and I believe that it helped Geryon heal and live in the moment with someone that he truly cared about. It was obvious that the two were interested in each other romantically, but were afraid to pursue such a relationship because it would go against the norm—that a man and a woman should be together. Same sex couples were not as common then as they are today, so people often hid their true feelings or would hide the fact that they were in a relationship. In all honest, I think that Geryon fell in a deep love with Herakles during their trip together. During said trip, Carson explained that, “His wings were struggling. They tore against each other on his shoulders” (53). I believe that his “wings” were a …show more content…
After seeing him again after years of not seeing each other, they decided to go out to eat and catch up with one another. Herakles brought a friend, which he has been traveling with, out to eat with him and Geryon. Geryon gets to know Ancash and they become really good friends. As they get to know one another, Ancash decided to tell Geryon a story about the people that survived the volcano—they were called red people. It was not until Ancash saw Geryon’s wings that I began to realize that he may really have wings. But, when Ancash was winding Geryon into the wool blanket to keep him warm—when he saw the wings—I started to, again, think that the wings were a metaphor for all of the pain that he has faced in his life. It was then that, “Ancash ran his fingers slowly down the red struts that articulated each wing base” (128). This quote made me think of the pain that Geryon has suffered and how Ancash notices that—especially with the attitude that he gives Herakles just before this scene when Herakles makes a comment about being able to help Geryon get warm. He then goes on to tell him the story about the red people who survived the volcano. Ancash told him about the legend of the red people when he said, “They say the Yazcamac return as red people with wings, all their weaknesses burned away” (129). This statement, in my opinion, was ultimately said to help Geryon realize that he has the power to …show more content…
He seems to want more for Geryon and help him through certain traumas that he has faced in his life. Ancash also seems to want Geryon to know that he is strong and that he has the power to get through such traumas and finally feel free. At the end of the story, Ancash said, “Geryon? There is one thing I want from you. Want to see you use those wings” (144). In this quote, I believe that Ancash was telling Geryon that he wants to see him happy and free of all of the pain that he has held on to. Perhaps he was also talking about Geryon being free of Herakles, because he cannot have a relationship with him anymore nor does he want to. In fact, Ancash asked Geryon what it’s like being intimate with Herakles and Geryon responded saying that it is “degrading” (144). With that said, Ancash grows closer with Geryon because he believes that he deserves better and wants him to be happy. He wants him to finally feel a sense of freedom from his past and even his present “relationship” with Herakles. In my opinion, he is a true friend and is there for him while he struggles with such traumas and