After the Vietnam War, 15% of the war’s veterans were never able to successfully transition back into their old lives (“21 Remarkable”). Louise Erdich’s short story, “The Red Convertible,” features a character who develops post-traumatic stress disorder from the war. Erdich explores the depersonalization associated with PTSD through both the symbolism of the red convertible itself and the drastic change seen in Henry Lamartine’s characterization. Henry Lamartine is drafted into the Vietnam War in 1970, where he remains for roughly three years, when the United States, North Vietnam, and South Vietnam signed the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet-nam (“Vietnam War”). Roughly 30% of those who fought in the war suffered from
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Before he is drafted, Henry has a free-spirited, peaceful, and goofily charming personality and is undeniably sanguine. In one instance, Henry tells Susy to “jump on [his] shoulders,” so “her hair reache[s] down past his waist, and he start[s] twirling this way and that, so her hair was flung out from side to side” (243). Here he is seen to be playful and silly, embodying the epitome of goofily charming. The road trip in and of itself captures Henry’s free-spirit. They go where the wind blows them and take rest stops whenever, wherever; they can be found sleeping under the stars more often than not. However, after the war these characteristics are lost, essentially reversed as Henry becomes “jumpy and mean” and has violent outbursts (244). He never takes it easy and is very clearly traumatized by his service. He can often be found sitting in front of the television, staring blankly, gripping the arms of his chair. One day, Lyman is sitting with Henry and “hear[s] his teeth click at something. [Lyman] look[s] over, and he [has] bitten through his lip” (244). Henry goes on to eat dinner with a heavily bleeding lip, not seeming to care or notice. A mentally stable person would never act the way Henry does, with causing himself bodily injury and appearing totally oblivious to the fact that he is bleeding profusely. Before the war, the red convertible is the pride and joy of the Lamartine brothers. Afterwards, Henry barel notices when Lyman takes a hammer to it and completely destroys it. Henry takes over a month to notice it, but when he does, he obsessively works on the car day and night to restore it to its former glory. Undoubtedly, PTSD leaves Henry as a shell of his former
Before he is drafted, Henry has a free-spirited, peaceful, and goofily charming personality and is undeniably sanguine. In one instance, Henry tells Susy to “jump on [his] shoulders,” so “her hair reache[s] down past his waist, and he start[s] twirling this way and that, so her hair was flung out from side to side” (243). Here he is seen to be playful and silly, embodying the epitome of goofily charming. The road trip in and of itself captures Henry’s free-spirit. They go where the wind blows them and take rest stops whenever, wherever; they can be found sleeping under the stars more often than not. However, after the war these characteristics are lost, essentially reversed as Henry becomes “jumpy and mean” and has violent outbursts (244). He never takes it easy and is very clearly traumatized by his service. He can often be found sitting in front of the television, staring blankly, gripping the arms of his chair. One day, Lyman is sitting with Henry and “hear[s] his teeth click at something. [Lyman] look[s] over, and he [has] bitten through his lip” (244). Henry goes on to eat dinner with a heavily bleeding lip, not seeming to care or notice. A mentally stable person would never act the way Henry does, with causing himself bodily injury and appearing totally oblivious to the fact that he is bleeding profusely. Before the war, the red convertible is the pride and joy of the Lamartine brothers. Afterwards, Henry barel notices when Lyman takes a hammer to it and completely destroys it. Henry takes over a month to notice it, but when he does, he obsessively works on the car day and night to restore it to its former glory. Undoubtedly, PTSD leaves Henry as a shell of his former