The Red Convertible By Louise Erdrich And The Brothers

Superior Essays
A Broken Puzzle “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change” (Shelley). The two stories “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich and “The Brothers” by Lysley Tenorio demonstrates that a sudden change can turn a lifetime of memories into betrayals, In “The Red Convertible,” the brothers Henry and Lyman has a strong bond filled with amusement and adoration but disintegrates as a result of an unexpected event that happens to Henry. In comparison, in “The Brothers,” the brother Eric who later becomes Erica, reveals to the world on national television his change in identity. This event shocks his mother and brother Edmond, causing their familiarity to drift apart. Both stories share a similar obstacle that the brothers …show more content…
After the death of Erica, caused by an ‘asthma’ attack, Edmond, her brother flashbacks to the time when the two were together, alive and well, “... joking like the closest of brothers” (8). These flashbacks illustrate the very close bond they use to have and causes Edmond to reminisce their childhood. As a result, Edmond also carries a sense of regret for not being there for Erica when he was needed …show more content…
In the beginning, the brothers were inseparable from each other and the car, they went places together in that car throughout that one whole summer. But after at least three years, Henry comes back from the army, everything about their relationship, their brotherly bond changes dramatically. Lyman tries to recover their brotherly bond by beating up their car and “[making] it look just as beat up as [he] could” (246) and making Henry repair it. “It was spring. The sun was shining very bright” (246), Lyman says. Spring is a metaphor for a new beginning, this implies that after the repairs on the convertible is done, maybe their brotherly bond will bloom again. But it wasn’t until the brothers felt like they were together again when Henry jumps and drowns in the river. That is also when Lyman has an epiphany, he realizes that his brother is in a better place now, and decides to let the car go with his brother, into the river. The car, now in the water with Henry symbolizes closure and burial of their brotherly bond, this allows the both of them to move on without each

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