Symbolism In Louise Erdrich's The Red Convertible

Authors use symbolism as part of their creative processes in the writing of fictional stories. “The Red Convertible” is a short story by Louise Erdrich, who uses a broad range of symbols to make her story charismatic and captivating. As we read the story of the two brothers, we learn about their relationship from adolescence to adulthood. The brothers are Henry Junior and Lyman who live on an American Indian reservation in North Dakota. Lyman is the narrator of the story and acts as the protagonist. He recounts his relationship throughout the years with his brother, Henry Junior. Their life events are both good and bad but ultimately lead to Henry’s downfall. The study of their relationship requires an understanding of the symbols the author

Henry’s personality has changed; he has become depressed and withdrawn. “When he came home, though, Henry was very different.” (Erdrich____) Furthermore, Henry has lost interest in the car. “Henry had not even looked at the car since he’d gotten home.” (Erdrich____) This act shows that they are moving apart from one another. In a conversation between Lyman and his mother, there is the mention of the hospital being a body shop. His mother says “they don’t fix people in those places” (439), and Lyman says “then I thought about the car” (439). As a result, Lyman purposefully damages the car in hope of rebuilding his relationship with his brother and helping Henry find meaning to his life. In dismay, they repair the car together and Henry emerges better than the way he was before. Lyman says, “to the way they were before” (440). Another use of symbolism is the brothers posing for a picture that their younger sister, Bonita, takes of Lyman and Henry with her camera. The photograph captures Lyman and Henry standing next to the car with their arms around each other after Henry returns home from the war as a changed man. In the picture, Lyman is clear and bright representing his contentment with life, while there is a dark shadow over Henry’s face that symbolizes his dark and lonely life. Lyman describes the picture as “My face is right out in the sun, big and round. But he might have drawn back, because the shadows on his face are deep as holes” (Erdrich 411). This picture shows how their personalities are different. Henry is smiling in this picture for the first time since returning home from the war, although Lyman describes his smile as if it "¦looked as like it might have hurt his face." (398) His difficult smile represents the grief from the consequences of the war and Henry’s inability to be truly happy again. Lyman mentions that, “at that time I felt good about Henry and much