4 Page Essay
Despaigne 1
Doris Despaigne
Professor Mercier
English 120
29 September 2014
Who Will Fight for Them “The Red Convertible,” by Louise Erdrich, reveals how an individual who served in a war fights an internal war upon returning home. Henry, a Native American United States Marine, returning home from the Vietnam War, wrestled with such a battle which ultimately severed the loving bond he shared with his brother. The brotherhood between Lyman and his older brother Henry was solid and the red Oldsmobile convertible was the object that linked them together. It was the summer before Henry was deployed to the Vietnam War when Lyman and Henry impulsively bought the red Oldsmobile. The car is representative of Henry, in that it mimics him emotionally throughout the story, “There it was, parked, large as life. Really as if it was alive” (Erdrich 306). That entire summer Henry and Lyman enjoyed a certain freedom and adventure, driving from state to state carefree, laughing, joking, and enjoying life. Henry soon departed to serve in the war. In the three years Henry was away Lyman made no use of the car and kept it out of service, “Most of the time I had it up on blocks in the yard or half taken apart, because that long trip did a hard job on it under the hood” (Erdrich 308). Henry’s journey to serve in Vietnam was long, and what he experienced there took a toll on him psychologically. When Henry returned home, he held no interest in the car, or how his life was before he left, including his relationship with Lyman. Now, he was mean, jumpy and barely talked. Lyman, desperate to help his brother, purposely damages the car in hope that Henry will fix it and simultaneously fix himself. Henry complains to Lyman about the damage and tells him that the car is undeserving of it, as he, Henry, is also undeserving of his damaged condition. The fact Henry communicated with Lyman was promising to him; that his brother was on the road to recovery, and their relationship
Doris Despaigne
Professor Mercier
English 120
29 September 2014
Who Will Fight for Them “The Red Convertible,” by Louise Erdrich, reveals how an individual who served in a war fights an internal war upon returning home. Henry, a Native American United States Marine, returning home from the Vietnam War, wrestled with such a battle which ultimately severed the loving bond he shared with his brother. The brotherhood between Lyman and his older brother Henry was solid and the red Oldsmobile convertible was the object that linked them together. It was the summer before Henry was deployed to the Vietnam War when Lyman and Henry impulsively bought the red Oldsmobile. The car is representative of Henry, in that it mimics him emotionally throughout the story, “There it was, parked, large as life. Really as if it was alive” (Erdrich 306). That entire summer Henry and Lyman enjoyed a certain freedom and adventure, driving from state to state carefree, laughing, joking, and enjoying life. Henry soon departed to serve in the war. In the three years Henry was away Lyman made no use of the car and kept it out of service, “Most of the time I had it up on blocks in the yard or half taken apart, because that long trip did a hard job on it under the hood” (Erdrich 308). Henry’s journey to serve in Vietnam was long, and what he experienced there took a toll on him psychologically. When Henry returned home, he held no interest in the car, or how his life was before he left, including his relationship with Lyman. Now, he was mean, jumpy and barely talked. Lyman, desperate to help his brother, purposely damages the car in hope that Henry will fix it and simultaneously fix himself. Henry complains to Lyman about the damage and tells him that the car is undeserving of it, as he, Henry, is also undeserving of his damaged condition. The fact Henry communicated with Lyman was promising to him; that his brother was on the road to recovery, and their relationship