Literary Analysis of "The Red Convertible"

Literary Analysis "The Red Convertible"

          "The Red Convertible" by Louise Erdrich is compelling. In this tale, she intertwines the Chippewa heritage with an American experience. Erdrich writes her stories focusing on identity and family. This analysis will display the theme, setting, plot, point of view, characterization, irony, and symbolism found in "The Red Convertible."

Theme

          A theme of "The Red Convertible" is life robbed of joy feels meaningless. The story details the lives of two brothers. They purchase a "red car" together and are full of happiness from the road trips experienced in the car until one brother leaves for the military. Once the older brother, Henry, returns home, he is no longer experiencing the joy of his carefree red convertible days. Instead, he is filled with dread and fear caused by PTSD. "When he came home, though, Henry was very different, and I'll say this: the change was no good." The author's purpose for this theme may have been to convey the extreme emotional sorrows inside the life of a man returning from war where much life is taken.

Setting

          "The Red Convertible" is the story of two brothers, Henry and Lyman, and their family dynamic before and after Henry becomes a Marine. It takes place over a period of time from the end of the 1960s-1970s. The story begins in summertime with the brothers living on a Chippewa reservation. As the story continues, they spend time in Alaska, Canada, and on a road trip hitting many states. Henry also spends time in Vietnam. The mood of the story goes from joyful to worrisome as Henry returns home from Vietnam a changed man.

Plot

          "The Red Convertible" covers the relationship of two brothers. During the rising action, Henry and Lyman experience conflicts. These minor conflicts are The Joliet Café owned by Lyman blew over in a tornado, Henry joins the Marines and serves in Vietnam, and Lyman and their mother could not trust Old Man Pillager with the care of Henry because the old man at one time tried to "court" their mother. The major conflict is the disturbing change that takes place in Henry upon returning home from Vietnam. "But he was quiet, so quiet, and never comfortable sitting still anywhere but always up and moving around." This change leads to the climax. Henry walks into the river, is carried away by the current, and then dies by drowning. The climax then leads to the falling action and the resolution. The falling action is Lyman going into the river after Henry to try and save him. The resolution is Lyman runs the red convertible into the river after acknowledging his brother is gone.

Point of View

          The point of view in " The Red Convertible" is first person. Erdrich tells the story through the eyes of Lyman. From the first line in the story, "I was the first one to drive a convertible on my reservation," to the end of the story, "I wait," Lyman tells the story from his perspective.

Characterization

          Erdrich performs the task of good characterization in "The Red Convertible." This is especially true in the character development of the older brother, Henry. Henry is a rounded character with both good and bad qualities. He was young, joyful, and funny, yet he also had a temper. "He'd always had a joke, then, too, and now you couldn't get him to laugh, or when he did it was more the sound of a man choking, a sound that stopped up the throats of other people around him." Throughout the story, Erdrich presents Henry to be dynamic through growth and change. She achieves this change through indirect characterization. Erdrich describes Henry as a man who is a "brickhouse" of a man with an Indian nose, big and sharp "like the nose on Red Tomahawk." This character goes from being cheerful to becoming a Marine experiencing PTSD. He's funny, tells jokes, and uses a little slang before Vietnam. This is presented well in a carefree scene during their road trip with a girl named Susy. After Vietnam, he's quiet, skittish, and worrisome. "He (Henry) sat in his chair gripping the armrests with all his might, as if the chair itself was moving at a high speed."  Lyman treats his brother with a brotherly love before Henry goes to war. Then, Lyman is very careful of his approach towards his brother following Henry's dramatic change after the war. "We had always been together before. Henry and Lyman. But he was such a loner now that I didn't know how to take it." Edrich thoughtfully displays Henry's humanness as he transitions from content and happy to the painful suffering he was feeling up until the end.

Irony

          The reader picks up on verbal irony in the story. Henry uses it. After spinning a girl with long hair around on his shoulders, he jokes sarcastically, "I always wondered what it was like to have long pretty hair." Then towards the end Henry is called crazy by his brother and appears upset. He says, "That's right! Crazier 'n hell. Crazy Indians!" Verbal irony is definitely portrayed here.

Symbolism

          The red convertible in "The Red Convertible" is the symbol of the story. The red convertible represents life. In the beginning of the story, Erdrich portrays the car as "alive." She also describes it as tranquil and "calm." Even after returning from Vietnam, the car is still in "tip-top condition." Henry, however, refuses to even look at the vitality of the car for vitality is something missing in Henry. Lyman hits and hammers the car and Henry repairs it, but it's not the same. The joy of the car is gone. The joy in Henry is gone. The car feels meaningless. Henry's life feels meaningless. Life without joy feels meaningless.

          "The Red Convertible" is a well told story. It is an appealing story. It would particularly appeal to those who understand PTSD, live with PTSD, or live with someone who struggles with PTSD. The depth of the story of these two brothers reveals how their differing experiences shape each of them. One can relate to the struggles felt by both. Louise Erdrich does a magnificent job appealing to the sensitivities of the reader.