Symbolism, Transformation, And Death In 'The Red Convertible'

Symbolism, Transformation, and Death
The art of literature allows for endless creativity and gives authors the ability to entertain and enlighten readers. Despite the limitless possibilities and wide variety of stories, many pieces of literature share similarities that are often missed by readers. Louise Erdrich’s “The Red Convertible” is a tale of two close brothers, Henry Junior and Lyman, whose relationship is tested by the psychological effects of the Vietnam War, and Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” is about a pregnant woman and man’s discussion regarding a potential abortion as they wait for a train. These two short stories are examples of writing that appear different on the surface but are notably similar when examined

A feature that these stories share is that they both utilize symbolic details inside of their titles in order to introduce underlying themes. In “The Red Convertible”, the title refers to a car that Henry and Lyman co-own and value dearly, which happens to be a red convertible. Lyman, the narrator of the text, explains that “[They go] places in that car, [Lyman] and Henry. [They] take] off driving all one whole summer” (Erdrich 104). The car symbolizes the brothers’ close relationship and their youthful freedom as it enables them to travel together. Throughout the story, the car is damaged and repaired multiple times in the same way that their relationship undergoes a change after Henry returns from the Vietnam War. Similarly in “Hills Like White

Towards the end of “The Red Convertible”, the two brothers go on a final trip together. During this trip, Henry decides to cool of in the river when his boots fill with water and “Then [he is] gone. A branch comes by. Another branch. And [Lyman] goes in. By the time [Lyman] gets out of the river… the sun is down” (Erdrich 114). Whether Henry’s passing is suicide or an accident is open to interpretation. However, the most reasonable answer is suicide due to the fact that Henry struggles to cope with the trauma he experiences during the war. The conclusion to “Hills Like White Elephants” is alike in the sense that the ending is unclear and the idea of death is involved. Following their debate concerning the operation, the man asks if the girl feels better. She tells him that “[She is] fine," and that "[There is] nothing wrong with [her]. [She is] fine" (Hemingway 232). The two most logical possibilities for a resolution are that she either feeds into the man’s persuasion and follows through with the abortion or the relationship between the couple dies and she decides what to do about the child on her own. Both possibilites are equally reasonable and there is no evidence that favors one over the other. Regardless, both scenarios are not necessarily positive and result in the demise of something. Despite the fact that both of these stories incorporate death into their endings, the types of