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The Red Convertible


            
             "The Red Convertible" by Louise Endrich is the story of two Chippewa Indian brothers who center their attention on rebuilding a red convertible. The convertible symbolizes the friendship, love and everything positive in the lives of the two brothers. The story focuses on Henry, the older brother, who has returned from a POW camp in Vietnam and has changed after seeing the horrors of war. He is devastated by the atrocities of war and is not sure that he can continue to live in normal society. In the final scene, Henry waves between coping with his return to society and living or is life just too hard for him to bear and he will end his life.
             Endrich begins this final scene with Bonita, their younger sister, taking a last picture of the two brothers and the red convertible. The picture captures Lyman's final memory of his brother and the car. Henry's expression is forced with shadows on his face as "deep as holes" (Endrich 481). After the picture, Henry is resolute and wants to go see the high water of the river, indicating that a dark and somber mood has come over him and that he probably has made up his mind to end his life near the relaxing water. "The river was high and full of winter trash when [the brothers] got there. The sun was still out, but it was colder by the river" (481). The river represents death, dark, murky, and icy cold. .
             The two brothers build themselves a fire and watch the current. Henry quickly mentioned the car that he knew that Lyman had not just neglected the car but whacked it out of shape. Then Henry said, "he"d fixed it just to give it back and he should take it" (Endrich 481). The brothers argue over who should keep the red convertible. Henry wants Lyman to keep it, knowing that he no longer wants to live and has no use for it. Lyman wants Henry to keep the car, realizing that it is his last hope in holding on to his brother's dwindling life. He had tried so hard to save Henry, the least he could do is give him his car.


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