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Henry And Lyman's Symbolism In The Red Convertible

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According to the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study it is estimated that about 30 out of 100 Vietnam Soldiers experience post-traumatic stress disorder. In which they experience helplessness, frightening thoughts, traumatic flashbacks, and mental damage. The “red convertible” (Erdrich 39) that two brothers Henry and Lyman purchase together is very symbolic of Henrys struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder as he returns from the Vietnam War. Louie Erdrich symbols throughout the story demonstrates the changes of ones state of mind before and after war. Before leaving for service Henry and Lyman purchase the car and the brothers leave their “reservation” (Erdrich 39) with no worries and responsibilities. They spend their “summer” …show more content…

He comes home a “very different” (Erdrich 40) man. Lyman attempts to help his brother but Henry insist on sitting in front of the TV set and constantly replays the past in his head. Henry bit his lip and begin to bleed while watching television. During supper he was still bleeding and had had no problem eating his “bread” (Erdrich 42) covered in blood. This symbolizes Henry “soul” (“Blood”) being eaten up by his own emotional state. Lyman believes now the only way to save his brother is with “the red convertible” (Erdrich 39) that once was a representation of their brotherhood. The car is a symbol of Henrys “vicissitude psychological development” (“Automobile”). Lyman intentionally destroys the car knowing his brother eventually will react to its poor maintenance. When Henry finishes fixing the convertible it is “spring” (Erdrich 44). Spring is the time where “growth of living things” is not guaranteed according to The Dictionary of Symbols (“Spring”). Henrys traumatic experience makes him incapable of further developing. Henry drives his brother out to “Red River” (Erdrich 44) and Lyman begins to believe his brother is back to normal. Henry jumps into the water very casually as if to cool off but his decision to end his is already thought out. He allows his boots to fill up with water which symbolizes purification and

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Once Henry discovered the car was all beat up, he confronted Lyman, and Lyman told his brother to fix it. During the time that Henry worked on the car, he seemed to be doing much better, “he ate more slowly and didn’t jump up and down during the meal.” (Erdrich 110). His mind was slightly more at ease, and he had something to preoccupy himself with. Distractions like these can give a temporary escape where individuals feel as if they have a purpose, instead of feeling like they have nothing in their life.

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“The Red Convertible”, by Louise Erdrich is a story about two brothers, Lyman and Henry, and how the bond of the brothers is affected when Henry is called to fight in the Vietman war. The Story is told in first person by the main character Lyman. We get to see from his perspective how he is affected by Henry fighting in the war. Erdrich uses symbolism, characterization, and theme to help us understand her story.

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One often recalls the pounds and pounds of gear soldiers in war must carry: rifle, knife, helmet, body armor, grenades, and many more. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien begins the novel with a detailed description of the physical gear soldiers carried in Vietnam; with each listed item, the total weight of a soldier’s equipment slowly grew into a massive number. One would assume the equipment would prove to be a soldier’s largest burden in the battlefield. Although the soldiers in Vietnam certainly carry backbreaking amounts of equipment, their emotional and psychological burdens far outweigh their physical gear. “Grief, terror, love, longing - these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had

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The Change of Two Brother’s Relationship Certain circumstances can change a person for the better or for the worse. In “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich, she demonstrates how the Vietnam War completely altered a young man’s personality. Two brothers, Henry and Lyman, who has an inseparable bond in the beginning of the story were portrayed also as best friends.

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