Symbolism In Louise Erdich's The Red Convertible
The Symbolic Red Convertible
In Louise Erdich’s “The Red Convertible” Henry and Lyman buy a red Convertible Oldsmobile. Erdich uses the car to portray the brothers’ relationship. The car like the relationship started off good and strong, then turned rough and finally disappeared altogether.
In the beginning of the story the boys’ relationship was good and strong. Just like the car. “We went places in that car, me and Henry. We took off driving all one whole summer” (p. 368 4th ed.). You can tell the car is working well because they could drive across the country. All the little pieces of the engine worked together to run, just like a healthy relationship running strong. The relationship continued to build and grow strong on this trip. On this trek across the country, Henry and Lyman become close, letting their guards down and spreading their arms wide even when they sleep. Showing that no matter where they are, the brothers are happy being together. Like Erdich says “Henry was asleep with his arms thrown wide. Later on, he woke up and we started …show more content…
driving again. We were somewhere in Montana” or maybe on the Blood Reserve-it could have been anywhere” (369).
The brothers’ relationship changed when Henry came back from the war.
“When he came home though, Henry was very different, and I’ll say this: the change was no good. You could hardly expect him to change for the better, I know” (371). What Lyman didn’t know was his brother had PTSD, and nothing would ever be the same. Even though Lyman would try to fix things with his brother it wouldn’t work out. Since the brothers had such a great time on the earlier trip Lyman decided to use the car to fix Henry. “I went out to that car and I did a number on its underside. Whacked it up. Bent the tail pipe double. Ripped the muffler loose. By the time I was done with the car it looked worse than any typical Indian car that has been driven all its life on reservation roads…” (372). Just like the car now was, beaten and torn apart, the brothers’ relationship was now just a shell of its former glory and
strength.
The younger brother beat the car in an attempt to inspire his brother to return to his old self. “He was always out with that car or going off to get parts for it. By the time it was really melting outside, he had it fixed” (373). Henry fixed the car, and Lyman thought things would return to the way they were. The brothers’ decided to take another trip, to Pembina and the Red River, to try and return to the way things were. “The trip over there was beautiful. When everything starts changing, drying up, clearing off, you feel like your whole life is starting. Henry felt it, too” (374).
Just as everything started to turn around it all came to a tragic end. Trying to build on the excitement, of feeling better and more like himself before the war, Henry jumped into the river. It’s too much though, it is high and filled with debris; the strong current pulled him under. The loss of Henry brought everything crashing down around Lyman. Not knowing what to do he lost his mind and begins to pushes the car in to the river. “I walk back to the car, turn on the high beams, and drive it up the bank. I put it in first gear and then I take my foot off the clutch, I get out, close the door, and watch it plow softly into the water… The wires short out. It is all finally dark.” (376). Almost to symbolize the end of the relationship and a part of himself, his brother and the car now gone.
Just like the new car when they first saw it, calm and gleaming, large as life, so their relationship was the same wonderful and carefree. The struggles of life and war put strain on this relationship, which was once so strong. Just like owning a car caring for it, tuning it up and keeping it running smooth there are ups and downs, the brothers’ relationship parallels this as well. The brothers went from a strong relationship when they traveled across the country on their first trip in the new car, then to breaking down when Henry returned, and finally to an end when Henry drowned “His boots filled with water…” (367). The death of the relationship came when the wires shorted and Lyman was left in the dark, with the red convertible gone into the river, just like his brother.
In Louise Erdich’s “The Red Convertible” Henry and Lyman buy a red Convertible Oldsmobile. Erdich uses the car to portray the brothers’ relationship. The car like the relationship started off good and strong, then turned rough and finally disappeared altogether.
In the beginning of the story the boys’ relationship was good and strong. Just like the car. “We went places in that car, me and Henry. We took off driving all one whole summer” (p. 368 4th ed.). You can tell the car is working well because they could drive across the country. All the little pieces of the engine worked together to run, just like a healthy relationship running strong. The relationship continued to build and grow strong on this trip. On this trek across the country, Henry and Lyman become close, letting their guards down and spreading their arms wide even when they sleep. Showing that no matter where they are, the brothers are happy being together. Like Erdich says “Henry was asleep with his arms thrown wide. Later on, he woke up and we started …show more content…
driving again. We were somewhere in Montana” or maybe on the Blood Reserve-it could have been anywhere” (369).
The brothers’ relationship changed when Henry came back from the war.
“When he came home though, Henry was very different, and I’ll say this: the change was no good. You could hardly expect him to change for the better, I know” (371). What Lyman didn’t know was his brother had PTSD, and nothing would ever be the same. Even though Lyman would try to fix things with his brother it wouldn’t work out. Since the brothers had such a great time on the earlier trip Lyman decided to use the car to fix Henry. “I went out to that car and I did a number on its underside. Whacked it up. Bent the tail pipe double. Ripped the muffler loose. By the time I was done with the car it looked worse than any typical Indian car that has been driven all its life on reservation roads…” (372). Just like the car now was, beaten and torn apart, the brothers’ relationship was now just a shell of its former glory and
strength.
The younger brother beat the car in an attempt to inspire his brother to return to his old self. “He was always out with that car or going off to get parts for it. By the time it was really melting outside, he had it fixed” (373). Henry fixed the car, and Lyman thought things would return to the way they were. The brothers’ decided to take another trip, to Pembina and the Red River, to try and return to the way things were. “The trip over there was beautiful. When everything starts changing, drying up, clearing off, you feel like your whole life is starting. Henry felt it, too” (374).
Just as everything started to turn around it all came to a tragic end. Trying to build on the excitement, of feeling better and more like himself before the war, Henry jumped into the river. It’s too much though, it is high and filled with debris; the strong current pulled him under. The loss of Henry brought everything crashing down around Lyman. Not knowing what to do he lost his mind and begins to pushes the car in to the river. “I walk back to the car, turn on the high beams, and drive it up the bank. I put it in first gear and then I take my foot off the clutch, I get out, close the door, and watch it plow softly into the water… The wires short out. It is all finally dark.” (376). Almost to symbolize the end of the relationship and a part of himself, his brother and the car now gone.
Just like the new car when they first saw it, calm and gleaming, large as life, so their relationship was the same wonderful and carefree. The struggles of life and war put strain on this relationship, which was once so strong. Just like owning a car caring for it, tuning it up and keeping it running smooth there are ups and downs, the brothers’ relationship parallels this as well. The brothers went from a strong relationship when they traveled across the country on their first trip in the new car, then to breaking down when Henry returned, and finally to an end when Henry drowned “His boots filled with water…” (367). The death of the relationship came when the wires shorted and Lyman was left in the dark, with the red convertible gone into the river, just like his brother.