The Red Convertible

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The Red Convertible

Vanished Brotherhood

In the short story “The Red Convertible” you will find some important elements that are integral to the support and development of the theme brotherhood. First, you will see how the road trip gives a lesson in the story. Second, you will discover how the war affected the relationship of Lyman and Henry. Finally, you will understand the symbolism of the red convertible and the link it has between both brothers. One important element that has a powerful lesson in the story is the road trip. While Lyman and Henry went on a drive one afternoon, they met a girl named Susy in the middle of the road. Susy had her hair in buns around her ears and was very short. They let her jump in the car and they take her to Alaska, where she lives. They stood in Alaska for a while and the night before they went back home, Susy stood up on a chair and unclipped her hair, and it reached to the ground. They were both astonished when they saw her hair. Not only because it was very long, but perhaps because they never seen her hair from that perspective, “You couldn’t tell how much hair she had when it’s rolled up so neatly”. The moral of that scene was that even if we see things one way, there is always a different perspective to see it. Even the relationship that anyone can have with someone else can be seen in different perspectives.

Another important element in the story is the effect that the war brought between both brothers. Henry is drafted to Vietnam as a soldier and when he returns from the war, he is nothing like his old self. As Lyman says laconically, “the changes in him from the war were no good.” Here you see that the effect of the war was negative. Lyman describes Henry as “quiet; he d...

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...n on all the road signs, and he ultimately chooses to drown in “the Red River”.

As you can see, Lyman is inventive, clever, and hard working but he cannot, eventually, help Henry overcome his damage from Vietnam. Lyman attempts to bring Henry back to spiritual life by the connective link they share in owning a shiny red Olds convertible together, but Henry’s hopes and dreams slowly fade out. As for Lyman, he destroys the car in the end because it no longer represents success and good times to him. Instead, it represents the white world, which has destroyed Henry. He recognizes the big sacrifice that Henry has made for him on behalf of the white culture, “ He bought out my share”. By submerging the car beneath the water he completely disconnects himself from the white culture and confirms his status as a Native American when he says, “Lyman walks everywhere he goes”.

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