Symbolism is a quintessential element in all writing, whether it is prose or a poem. “The Red Convertible,” a short story written by Louise Erdrich, tells the story of the destructive nature of war, via the strain caused on the families from improper deconditioning. The main characters in the story, Lyman and Henry Lamartine, are brothers that develop a seemingly inseparable bond through a car; a red convertible. Lyman, the younger of the two was very hard-working and could always “make money” (Erdrich 394). He manages to ascend up the employment ladder at Joliet Café from “washing dishes” (Erdrich 394) to eventually owning the establishment. Henry was soon drafted into the war and became a Marine. Upon returning from the Vietnam War “Henry was very different” (Erdrich 396) and “the change was no good” (Erdrich 396). Additionally, with the name in the title, it is only befitting that the convertible play a very important factor in the short story. The red convertible, Henry’s refusal to remove his war garments, and the picture of the two brothers are symbols that make the story complete by providing a view of their lives and personality.
Although there are many symbols throughout the story, the most established is the red convertible. Louise Erdrich uses the red convertible as a symbolic representation of not only Lyman and Henry’s relationship but all war separated families. The convertible served as a common enjoyment of both brothers and is representative of their independence. When Henry returned from the war scarred, “quiet, and never comfortable sitting still anywhere” (Erdrich 396). Lyman was upset that his brother was acting differently, so, in order to spark emotion and “interest” (Erdrich 396) Lyman damaged th...
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...d Lyman’s relationship. A noteworthy example is when Lyman “plows” (Erdrich 400) the automobile into the river. Eventually, the car engine dies; just like Henry and the relationship of the two brothers. Clothes, an occupational indicator in this instance, show Henry’s inability to remove himself from war. His garments act as a binding force and a memory that will oppress him until death. Comparatively, the picture serves as a reminder of the past that continues to haunt Lyman, so much in fact, that he “put the picture in a brown bag and folded the bag over and over tightly” (Erdrich 398). The author uses the most disparaging facet of living, death, to portray that life is not everlasting and that although we will not live forever, our memories will. Symbols deepen the story by opening a gateway into the emotional and physical states of the brothers.
The Red Convertible, written by Louise Erdrich, is a short story written in the first person perspective of a Chippewa Indian named Lyman. It portrays the story of his brother, Henry, who joins the Marines and fights in the Vietnam War. Before recruiters pick up Henry, Lyman describes him and his brother’s road trip in their brand new red Olds. Lyman explains Henry’s characteristic during their joy-ride as friendly, joking, and fun. Returning from their road trip, Henry leaves for Vietnam. When he returns, Henry is not the same joyful man that he once was before he had left. Louise Erdrich’s short story, The Red Convertible, follows the life of Henry who is as funny joking guy. Although war has changed him, and it was not for the best. Louise Erdrich’s theme for The Red Convertible is that war can devastate peoples’ lives.
The consequences and effects of war, may be psychological, physical, or emotional. Can effect directly, for example, a solider or indirectly, for example, that soldier’s relatives and friends. “The Things They Carried” and “The Red Convertible” exam these matters. “The Things They Carried examines the psychological, physical, or emotional side of destruction that the Vietnam War bought. While “The Red Convertible” focuses on the psychological strain on soldiers they endure after the war as well as their families. These stories raise the questions is really war really necessary and can a solider back out of duty. Both stories are initiation stories or coming of age stories. These aspects are most effective when analyzing these works. The pieces may go deeper into the issues and questions at hand. The Centering on characterization, the point of view, symbolism or imagery, and significance of the title all help support the theme of these works and develop thoughts and opinions on the stories issues.
...who endures pain. His brother, Lyman, suffers from many of the same things as Henry. Lyman also experiences post-traumatic stress. Although Lyman seems to acknowledge this stress in a rather different way than Henry, it is there all the same. Just as Henry tries to give the red convertible up to his brother, Lyman does the same in the end, and pushes it right back to him. The red car represents a bond between the two brothers, and with Henry gone, Lyman can not bear to have it around anymore. Unfortunately, getting rid of the car does not take care of Lyman's pain. Even a long time after Henry's death, Lyman still experiences post-traumatic stress. Only now he has a tragedy of his own to endure.
Henry Fosdick once said, “The tragedy of war is that it uses man’s best to do man’s worst.” In “The Red Convertible” by Louis Erdrich, there is a conflict amongst two brothers, Henry and Lyman as ones awareness towards reality is shifted upon the return of the Vietnam War. Henry’s experience fighting in the Vietnam War is the responsibility for the unexpected aftermath that affects their brotherhood. The event of Henry fighting in the war through fears, emotions and horrors that he encounters is the source of his “Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome [PTSD].” It has shaped his own perception of reality and his relationship with his brother Lyman and the strong bond that they had shared.
Whereas, when Henry was drafted, not to face his feelings and fears he offered his half of the car to Lyman. Clearly, this was his way of using the car to communicate, as Henry said to Lyman, “Now it’s yours” (326). Also, this could also be considered as a means to try to ease Lyman’s pain. Nevertheless, Lyman fought for the relationship without speaking the words. Besides, what’s more Lyman could not deal with the fact that Henry may not return, and he also used the car to communicate by rejecting his offer saying, “Thanks for the extra key,”(326). By the same token, they were using the car, by giving it up, as a symbol of their love; however, neither wanted the car without the other brother. In any case, without the car to connect them, they are in a break-up
...rich 363) We know that for Lyman, the car doesn’t mean anything to him without his brother, so he sends the car off into the river just as his brother had done. The car has always symbolized the bond between the brothers, sometimes sad and sometimes happy, the car always shows the readers the type of bond the two brothers shared.
One of the main symbols in the story is the red convertible itself. It symbolizes the relationship between the two brothers, and how it brings them closer throughout the story. The color of the convertible is also very symbolic. Since the two boys are Native American, the red convertible is supposed to represent their skin color. Both boys trade ownership of the vehicle throughout the story, but ultimately the car ends up in Lyman 's possession. As was stated before, the car
PTSD, also known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, can cause change and bring about pain and stress in many different forms to the families of the victims of PTSD. These changes can be immense and sometimes unbearable. PTSD relates to the characters relationship as a whole after Henry returns from the army and it caused Henry and Lyman’s relationship to crumble. The Red Convertible that was bought in the story is a symbol of their brotherhood. The color red has many different meanings within the story that relates to their relationship.
Today, we have a lot of veterans who are coming home from war that are being displaced. In this chapter it talks about a Vietnam War soldier named Norman Bowker who arrives home from the war. In the chapter, Speaking of Courage from the book ‘The Things They Carried’ written by Tim O’Brien, Norman feels displaced from the world and everyone there. A returning soldier from the Vietnam War is driving around a lake on the 4th of July in his fathers big chevrolet, but then realizes he has nowhere to go. He starts to reminisce about his father, ex-girlfriend, and his childhood friend. Norman talks about all the medals he had won. He starts to think about his fathers pride in those badges and he starts to have a recollection about how he had almost own the silver star but blew his chance. He continues to drive around the lake again and again. He continues to imagine telling his father about the story of how he almost won the silver star, but failed to do so. This paper will analyze Speaking of Courage with the new criticism/formalism lens.
Lyman says, “We went places in that car, me and Henry. We took off driving all one whole summer” (135). The car symbolized their carefree and innocent lives. They took off without a car in the world and made memories in their car. Bussey asserts in her critical essay, “At the time, Lyman was only sixteen, an age at which most young people long to explore the world and to make their own decisions. Together, Lyman and Henry used the car to leave the reservation where they lived and to see what was beyond its borders” (Para 5). This is exactly what the two were doing when they traveled all across the country. The car created a bond between the two. The first paragraph symbolizes the foreshadowing of Henry’s death, “We owned it together until his boots filled with water on a windy night and he bought out my share” (134). Initially this statement is not clear until you finish the story. When the car and Henry both go into the water it symbolizes the end of Lyman’s innocence and the end of the relationship between the two brothers. The car had lost meaning once his brother was
war, Lyman kept the car in perfect working order. Lyman wrecks the underside of the car
Written in the first person by Lyman Larmartine, The Red Convertible follows a typical dramatic development. The story begins in with an introduction of the narrator's life. Almost simultaneously the reader is introduced to older brother Henry Junior and the shiny red Oldsmobile convertible they bought on the spur of the moment together. The rising action of the story begins when the two take off one summer on a road trip that ends them in Alaska. When they arrived home, it was conveniently just in time for Henry to be drafted for the army. Just months later in early 1970 Henry was fighting in the Vietnam War and Lyman was had the red convertible in his possession. More than three years later, Henry finally returned home three years later only to be a much different person than the one that had left. Henry was distant and lackadaisical for the most part, never really caring about anything. Lyman knew there had been only one thing in the past that really cheered him up, and would do whatever it would take to have Henry back to his old self. Lyman took a hammer to their prized possession one night and soon showed Henry the car. Henry then was angered by the way the car was treated and was soon spend all his days and nights consumed by repairing the car. The climax of the story begins when Henry finally finished refurbishing the car and posing in front of it with Lyman for one last picture followed by a trip to Red River like in the good old days. When they arrived at the river, Henry confessed that he had known what Lyman did to the Olds, and was thankful for it, then offered to give his portion of the car to him. Just when the reader believes the old Henry has come back to life, he dives into the river and is sucked down with the strong current.
By spending so much time caring for the car, Lyman was caring for his brother. Little did Lyman know that his brother was going to come back a changed man and those changes were going to hemorrhage Henry's relationships.... ... middle of paper ... ...
" Symbolism enables us to tell a story one way, while trying to say another. I believe Tim O'Brien has achieved success in doing so in "The Things They Carried. " Works Cited The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Book Notes.
The reader also meets Henry, Lyman’s brother who is older than he is. Unlike Lyman, the reader is given a physical description of Henry. Erdrich writes, “He was built like a brick out house anyway. He had a nose big and sharp as a hatchet” (128). One may conclude that a physical description was given for Henry and not Lyman because he was ...