Reading autobiographies can bring a sense of dread to a number of people within the reading community. Although to some, they are the only style of book to read. Autobiographies have a connotation of being a chronological retelling of the author’s life, full of intimate details of the struggles they encountered and they share the commonality of upbeat undertones suggesting that they are in fact successful, which is why they are writing this autobiography. Our brain has been trained to associate these assumptions with autobiographies. When we examine a novel like Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson, our assumptions of what an autobiography is becomes challenged. Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson is not typical life-writing story using opening …show more content…
The title of this novel says that the story will be about something or somebody named “Red”. But, what is the identity of "Red"? Carson does not clearly state who “Red” is. However, we are given hints. In “Red Meat: Fragments of Stesichoros”, Geryon is described as: “everything about him was red” (9). In “Schooling”, the narrator says that Geryon’s mother “neatened his little red wings” (12). The multiple instances of Geryon being in the same sentence as Red could indicate that he is, in fact, "Red" and that the story is about him. In addition to the instances where Geryon is being described as red, the Red could possibly be the romance that occurs throughout the novel, or possibly symbolize a story of abuse and the after effects. Regardless of the meaning, the novel does not tell a story about a clear self like a traditional autobiography …show more content…
There are multiple instances within the novel where actions and events described are clearly fiction. In “Photographs: #1748”, the narrator states, “He has not flown for year but why not be a black speck raking its way toward the crater of Icchantikas” (145). However, in the next chapter, he is seemingly alive and fine. This story content contradicts with traditional autobiographies we’ve read growing up such as The Diary of Anne Frank or Benjamin Franklin, where we’re given entirely realistic and truthful stories. While Carson appears to be telling the truth of the story of Geryon, the story breaking the “non-fiction” style prevents it from following the autobiography