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The Red Convertible Stylistic Analysis

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What if your brother was your best friend? What if he went to war and came back a stranger? The story “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich emphasizes the idea that people can change but they will always come back to who they used to be. One of the main characters Henry goes to war and comes back very different and his brother Lyman tries to bring him back to his old self. Louise Erdrich uses symbolism, setting and characterization to demonstrate the struggles between Henry and Lyman. In the story “The Red Convertible” the author uses literary elements to convey the theme that things that make you happy always make you happy. The author uses symbolism to convey the idea that car Lyman and Henry bought together represents the old Henry. Lyman was looking for a way to bring him back to his old self, “I thought the car might bring back the old Henry back somehow. So I bided my time and waited for my chance to interest him in the vehicle” (64). Since Henry had come back from …show more content…

The author shows the events during time by telling us when this story took place“It was 1970, and he said he was stationed up in the northern hill country” (63). This is important because the Vietnam war was happening during this time. This story takes place on a reservation which is significant because it helps set the tone “I was the first one to drive a convertible on my reservation. And of course it was red, a red Olds.” (61). This is significant because it highlights the importance of the car. The story “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich uses characterization of Henry, symbolism of the car and the setting to convey the theme, something that once made you happy will always make you happy. This is important because the story very much reflects a family relationship that has been through a lot of struggles. The story also reflects how something that started to become good can turn into a

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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, Louise was encouraged by her father to write stories. She says that “my father used to give me a nickel for every story I wrote” (Madden 241). After years of writing, Louise received the National Book Award for Fiction in 2012 for her novel “The Round House.” “The Red Convertible” follows the brotherhood of Lyman Lamartine and Henry Junior and illustrates the symbolization of the red convertible.

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The powerful words and visuals, such as these presented, bring together an understanding of one’s personal perception of Henry’s state of mind. The red convertible that stands as a mere metaphor for the actuality of the lives that have now drifted from one another. They have changed, and the red convertible did the same. By examining Henry’s actions throughout the course of the story, it can be established that he does indeed suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. at one point in time, Henry was a loving, funny, and respectable human being.

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In Erdrich’s story, the convertible is something the two brothers worked on, enjoyed, and spent time together in, overall serving as symbolism for youth and innocence. While disclosing ways to help bring back Henry from his declining mental state with his family, Lyman “thought about the car… [he] thought the car might bring back the old Henry back somehow”(Erdrich). The car acts as the source of innocence that Henry carried with him before his deployment, Lyman feels that working on the car would bring that back. Thurber explores symbolism as well as Mitty going into daydreams during his everyday life that is often triggered by his surroundings and demonstrate something Mitty longs for in his life.

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The two of them travel everywhere in a glossy, red convertible they bought together during the summer. The red convertible shows the unique connection they have together. As time passes, their relationship quality becomes damaged because of a series of factors, including a war Henry was sent off to. In a person’s life, certain aspects can be a trigger for life altering changes. Henry and Lyman’s relationship experiences dramatic changes from buying a convertible and taking it on road trips, to Henry becoming a unfamiliar face to his family.

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It serves as a contrast between who Arnold is and who he is disguised as. The car symbolizes the fantasy and the reality aspect of Arnold. The new paint job on his car is used to symbolize Arnold’s fake disguise that he puts on to lure Connie in. Arnold’s car becomes a major example of his dark appearance and nature. The color of his car which is gold represents being flashy.

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