At a creek bed, Henry admits that he knew what Lyman did to the car, they fight, and eventually Henry jumps into the water and the stream carries him away. Lyman jumps in to save him, but it’s too late. The story ends with Lyman putting the car in first gear and watching as the red convertible they both share sinks into the river. In “The Red Convertible,” Endrich shows that some trauma is too great and nothing can fix it. This is illustrated by believable characters and leaving just enough unexplained that we can make our own interpretations of what Henry went through and what he is thinking and feeling.
This fiction short story “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich his, short story he uses a first person narrator. In addition to Lyman’s first person account, fact that the story is told from his point of view is also a element of the narrative structure .Lyman narrates THE STORY and recounts memories of his relationship with his brother, telling of the good times they had with their car until Henry’s deployment to Vietnam. Lyman misses Henry dearly and writes him often, always told stories of the trouble with him and his brother got into when they were younger. The road trip that the brothers take in the red convertible to Canada. In this scene the red convertible is symbolizing Henry and Lyman's close relationship to one another.
Although, lucky with his finances, Lyman had changed, when Henry, his brother died. Lyman decided that he would no longer drive a car, he would walk around town. He was deeply saddened by Henry death. He missed the good times he shared with his brother. The trips they would take and lying in the green pastures with no cares in the world, just day dreaming!
The car symbolizes a brotherhood between the main characters. This brotherhood changed after Henry, the oldest brother, returned from war and things were never quite the same between the brothers. Both brothers had something they truly desired for themselves and their sibling. Henry had a desire for freedom while Lyman had a desire to get his older brother back to normal. Desire is a complex word with different official meanings and varied effects on people.
This brings conflict into the story, Lyman struggles to awaken his brothers old self by trashing their beloved red convertible in an attempt to get his brother Henry to return to his normal self. In the story, the material is not exactly arranged in chronological order. The main protagonist has a number of flashbacks within the short story. These flashbacks serve as a reflection and sheds some light on Lyman's and his brothers experiences, closeness, and attitudes. The effect that is achieved through this organization of the plot is that it grants the readers and insight into the actions, personalities, and emotions of each of the bothers.
- Henry and Lyman get into a small fight about who gets the car. Then henry says hes going to go cool off in the river but ends up committing suicide getting drowned and washed away by the river. Then Lyman drives the car into the water. How important is the setting in this story? Is it important to know that Henry and Lyman are Chippewa and that they live on a reserve?
I pictured her holding a cigarette for me to smoke while I was bleeding and all." (Salinger,104) In this quote, Holden is flirting with death as he imagines himself getting shot and bleeding relentlessly. On the other hand, Charlie does not go to thoughts of suicide to cope. "… Bob said he heard it before, and he heard that it was some kid's suicide note. I really hope it wasn't because then I don’t know if I like the ending."
Lyman is preparing the car to be used again just as he is preparing to have a relationship with his brother again. When Henry returns from the war the car is damaged and then it is lost forever symbolizing their damaged relationship. Lyman purposely
Then he runs over to the river and jumps in” (Louise Erdrich 313). Henry chose his own death in this story, which was to commit suicide; from struggling with the PTSD from the war, the river is his freedom from the struggle, “’My boots are filling,’ he says. He says this in a normal voice, like he just noticed and he doesn’t know what to think of it. Then he’s gone” (Louise Erdrich 314). Both of the characters Henry and Farquhar saw the river as being their way to freedom, it was a different type off freedom but yet it was still freedom to them to escape their
He told us that if we are being forced here, that we will not gain that much from meeting. However, if we want to be there; then the meetings will help change our lives. This man has been sober for nineteen years. He ended up marrying his girlfriend and he is very active in his son’s live. He states it continues to be a struggle and that he will continually be an alcoholic, but he knows that he has stopped the cycle.