The Red Convertible

Many writers use symbolism in their stories in order to reveal certain or multiple aspects of the story. Symbols can be anything in a story from a non-living object to a living object. In the short story "The Red Convertible" the author, Louise Enrich, uses a red convertible to symbolize the bond between the two main characters, Henry Jr. and Lyman. Henry and Lyman live on a Native American Reservation, therefore they are not that ... rich. Even so, the brothers use their hard earned money to purchase a Red Convertible. The convertible plays a major role in the story, as it resembles the rela...

• Word Count: 687
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... by their use of characters, settings and points of view, and plot structures to help distinguish how the writers illustrate their short story. In The Red Convertible, the main character is Lyman Lamartine. Lyman is a young man of Chippewa Indian decent, who spent his younger years at the reservation. Lyman speaks highly about himself by his commitment and responsibility he has had. He is a ... mind's eye, a fantasy for the reader to believe in. The triumphant victory over those who tried to hang him, with the escape and evasion for the reader to follow. The Red Convertible's plot structu...

• Word Count: 1504
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... of the color red was not the only significant aspect of the story. Erdrich uses the beliefs of the Chippewa people to teach us things about the actions of the people. She expresses things strongly, which helps make us feel a connection with the brothers. The uses of the color red to describe blood, aggression, danger, and war are there as pointers, along with the color black for black foreshadowed the entire story. The red convertible was originally the ... car that the ... ...

• Word Count: 839
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Indian Brothers "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 ... 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, ta...

• Word Count: 639
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The Red Convertible, a short story written by Louise Erdrich, challenges the reader's mind with numerous uses of imagery. This use of imagery throughout the story, gives the reader a chance to interpret the theme or any underlying meanings that exist. Louise Erdrich begins her short story by telling the reader about an object that turns out to be a representative for numerous things throughout the story. At the start of the story, Henry and ... Henry is off at war, he like many other soldiers, were forever scared by the horror they had to see and do. Henry's physical and mental state at this ...

• Word Count: 419
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... an whole summer. They finally came back home for the older brother, Henry, had signed up to join the army. He came back from it totally change (for the worst). The younger brother, Lyman, did everything he could to bring back the old Henry, but he couldn't and Henry finally committed suicide at the end of the story. In "The Red Convertible" Erdrich suggests that even when one puts all ... the effort he can to rescue another, it may still turn ... people, no matter how much effort we put to help them out, cannot be rescued. In "The Red Convertible", Erdrich also employs conflict to emph...

• Word Count: 887
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Unable to Cope in Erdrich's "The Red Convertible" In the short story "The Red Convertible" Louise Erdrich writes about two brothers who were Chippewa Indians, living on a reservation in the 1970's. Lyman, the youngest brother, reveals how an event in his older brothers life, Henry's, turned him inside out, dwindled from the person he was. Lyman's story is about how Henry changes, before the war Henry was out going, liked telling jokes ... came home in. "He has his field jacket on and the worn-in clothes he"d come back in and kept wearing ever since." (411) Henry and his family's knowledge of ...

• Word Count: 663
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... together and were able to expand their adolescence and simplicity with the purchase of the red convertible. A red convertible was not the typical car you would expect to see on the reservation but Henry and Lyman saw the car and bought it on a whim. They traveled to many different places with the car. The red convertible only let the two brothers enjoy their summer by taking them to many comfortable ... and peaceful places other than the reservation. One of the places they traveled to ... was filled with willows. "I remember I laid under those trees and it was comfortable. So comfortab...

• Word Count: 958
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... separates himself somewhat from his native culture and aspires to succeed in the white world. Buying the red convertible, which he first believes is "alive", is a signal that he is making this shift. He is the first, if not only, native to drive a convertible on his reservation. When Henry returns from the war, Lyman looks to the shite people to make his brother better. But his Mom says ... don't make patients better, they just drug them. Not to mention natives are seldom welcome in the white hospital. So, Lyman decides to try to help Henry get better by himself. One night, he takes a h...

• Word Count: 313
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School