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The Red Convertible Analysis

1024 Words5 Pages

A Red Convertible with Many Meanings Throughout the course of a given year, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects approximately 5.2 million people. Nearly 7.8% of the United States population will experience PTSD in their lifetime, in addition 3.6% of adults ages eighteen to fifty-four will experience PTSD (“What is PTSD?”). Henry is one of these people. Using symbolism as well as foreshadowing within the story, “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich portrays a few motifs throughout the story and these include the bond of brotherhood, sacrifice, and the effects of war. Louise Erdrich, author of “The Red Convertible,” is the daughter of a German-American father and a Chippewa Indian mother. They were both employed at the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school and from an early age, her father encouraged …show more content…

According to Lyman, Henry is much different when he returns from Vietnam. Lyman had heard Henry’s “teeth click at something… and he’d bitten through his lip. Blood was going down his chin” (244). During dinner, he would take a bite of his bread, not knowing that he was bleeding, mixing his own blood with his food. This shows the Henry is experiencing some forms of PTSD. He also tends to grip the armrests of his chair will all his strength and freeze for long periods of time as if the chair was moving at unimaginable speeds. Previously mentioned, this shows that the motif or war has greatly impacted the close brotherhood at the beginning of the story. After the war, Henry is unable to return to his original self despite all the attempts made by Lyman to return his lost brother to his original self. Not only has the war impacted Henry’s home life and how he acts around his family, but it has deeply hurt the relationship between Lyman and

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