Louise Erdrich's story “The Red Convertible” is fraught with symbolism; the water, the car, and the photo highlight the theme of the story. In the story Erdrich uses this Symbolism to show how Henry's participation in the Vietnam War tarnishes his and Lymans relationship in the same manner that Lyman harms the Convertible. Erdrich starts with an explanation of how Lyman and, his brother Henry earned enough money to buy a red convertible that they shared. How is the relationship between the brothers shown through their sharing of the car?
Well the car was something they shared until Henry committed suicide as mentioned at the beginning and end of the story. The line “until his boots filled with water...and he bought out my share.”( pg 358) is very vague and does not convey much meaning to the reader till they reach the end of the story. Why did the author chose to start the story with such a veiled statement? While the statement is unclear at the beginning of the story by the end, it is clear to the audience what the Narrator meant. Henry’s boot filling with water symbolizes his death in …show more content…
The car starts out in great condition, just like the brothers relationship. “That car reposed, calm and gleaming”(359 ) Then later gets banged up after Henry returns from the war, just as Henry and Lyman’s relationship had been damaged. “By the time I was done with the car it looked… like government promises-full of holes.” (362 ) When Henry returns from the war he often gets angry and barely talks to Lyman where as the summer before they could sit around talking for hours. In Martian’s words “Like many who fought in that war, on all sides, Henry continues to bear it, to live it and suffer, after he comes home.” Neither Henry nor the convertible will ever be as nice as they were before they both have permanent dents and
Well the car was something they shared until Henry committed suicide as mentioned at the beginning and end of the story. The line “until his boots filled with water...and he bought out my share.”( pg 358) is very vague and does not convey much meaning to the reader till they reach the end of the story. Why did the author chose to start the story with such a veiled statement? While the statement is unclear at the beginning of the story by the end, it is clear to the audience what the Narrator meant. Henry’s boot filling with water symbolizes his death in …show more content…
The car starts out in great condition, just like the brothers relationship. “That car reposed, calm and gleaming”(359 ) Then later gets banged up after Henry returns from the war, just as Henry and Lyman’s relationship had been damaged. “By the time I was done with the car it looked… like government promises-full of holes.” (362 ) When Henry returns from the war he often gets angry and barely talks to Lyman where as the summer before they could sit around talking for hours. In Martian’s words “Like many who fought in that war, on all sides, Henry continues to bear it, to live it and suffer, after he comes home.” Neither Henry nor the convertible will ever be as nice as they were before they both have permanent dents and