Theme Of Red Convertible - 1581 Words

The Red Convertible In the â€Å"Red Convertible† by Louise Erdrich the theme is evident. Throughout the story he shows that situations in can have life altering effects. Erdrich takes the reader on a journey of two brothers whose names were Lyman and Henry. He covers us from the time they buy their first car, to the time of the death of Henry, the older brother. He uses a myriad of literary devices to bring the story across. Erdrich used the reservation as the setting because it foreshadows the loneliness that each character experiences. In addition, he uses the reservation to symbolize the hardship and loneliness of life in the Lyman and Henry. He uses the red convertible to symbolize the journey that each brother went through. In addition,†¦show more content†¦After the war he was silent, got distracted easily and was reserved. Erdrich describes that he was as quite, and was â€Å"never comfortable sitting still anywhere but he always up moving around. (pg 4)†. Lyman is very di straught at this change and would do anything to have his brother back. Therefore, he plans to mess up the car because of an earlier conversation with his family which expressed that the doctors could not cure him â€Å"they will just give them drugs (5).† This shows the lack of faith the Indians has in doctors. As a result, he destroyed the car he kept in tip top condition. Erdrich describes Lyman ruining the car, he â€Å"whacked it up, bent the pipe tail, ripped the muffler loose†¦I made it look as beat up as I could† (5). Fortunately, his plan workes. It took Henry over a month to find the car, but Lyman was okay with that because it was getting warm enough for Henry to start working on it. Lyman states that â€Å"Henry was better than he had been before† but that is an understatement. Even though, â€Å"he ate more slowly and didn’t jump around during a meal†¦ or look out the window (5)†, Lyman was unsatisfied with the results. He states â€Å"feeling down in the dumps about his brother, before the war they had always been henry and Lyman, but he was such a loner now. (6)† His very plan was crumbling before his eyes. No matter how hard Lyman tries he could not fully recover his long-lost brother. As a result, of his plan, one can assume that Lyman felt neglected.Show MoreRelatedTheme of the Red Convertible Essay611 Words   |  3 PagesTheme of The Red Convertible In The Red Convertible, LouiseErdrich uses the red convertible to symbolize the theme of change in two brothers relationship. The changes in the car parallel with the changes the brothers go through. As the car evolves, so does the relationship between Lyman and Henry. The two brothers have a close bond until Henry is sent off to war. Upon his arrival home, the changes in Henry and how he relates to his brother is apparent. As the short story opens, the brothersRead MoreTheme Of The Red Convertible In The Things They Carried744 Words   |  3 PagesBoth Erdrich’s, â€Å"The Red Convertible†, and OBriens, â€Å"The Things They Carried† reflect the effects of psychological trauma left by war; specifically, the Vietnam War. In Erdrich’s piece, she uses the red convertible as a metaphor for Henry. The fact that the two brothers purchased the convertible together is a serves to symbolize their bond. Yet, when Henry returns from his tenure as a soldier, his mental health has deteriorated into an apparently depressive state. I believe that Lyman’s act ofRead MoreTheme of Brotherly Love in Sonny’s Blues’ and The Red Convertible727 Words   |  3 PagesTheme of Brotherly Love INTRODUCTION Humanity experiences and shares different types of love because of its social nature, love that is synonymous with affection exist between likeminded and behavioral beings; brotherly love exists between siblings born to one mother or father o a combination of both. Although this definition is subjective, brotherly love extends beyond ones kinship to include persons whom you share same beliefs and values in life, in religious circles brotherly love is shown toRead MoreSymbolism in the Red Convertible1272 Words   |  6 PagesOctober 1st, 2012 Symbolism in the Red Convertible In writing, authors use symbolism to relay a deeper meaning to what they actually write. This technique captures important elements and gives the reader an idea of the theme of the story without the author directly telling them. Louise Erdrich uses symbolism to help emphasize and reveal the themes and message of her stories. â€Å"The Red Convertible,† by Erdrich, is a story about brotherly love as the highest value between two brothers, Lyman and HenryRead MoreThe Red Convertible1631 Words   |  7 Pagesindividual an array of events followed by a variety of emotions and lasting event but it is not always as delightful as the ones that make a last impression. â€Å"The Red Convertible† is about the memorable moments that the Lamartine brothers share together based on their pride for their red convertible. The shared love for the red convertible inspired the lasting memories for the Lamartine brothers; However, precisely like life, the memories were sewn into the broth er’s hearts and life continues. HenryRead MoreThe Red Convertible By Louise Erdrich931 Words   |  4 Pages In the short story â€Å"The Red Convertible,† by Louise Erdrich, there are multiple literary devices used throughout. However, Erdrich most commonly utilizes theme and symbolism. She uses certain themes throughout most of her work, as noted by Keri L. Overall in a literary analysis. â€Å"Indeed, the themes of Erdrich’s stories range from the effects of war on families and personal identity to loss of heritage and family and personal relationships.† Erdrich also employs the use of symbolism in this storyRead MoreSymbolism in the Red Convertible Essay643 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism of the Color Red in the Red Convertible The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich is more than an emotional story about the lives of two brothers who grew up together on an Indian reservation. She uses a writing style that allows the reader to understand the text, while providing the opportunity to read into the story. Erdrich uses metaphors, symbols, imagery to describe and define the brothers Henry and Lyman’s relationship. The two brothers purchased the red convertible together. The purchaseRead More The Red Convertible Essay examples1179 Words   |  5 PagesThe Red Convertible Vanished Brotherhood In the short story â€Å"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 powerfulRead MoreEssay on Compare and Contrast of Two Stories.919 Words   |  4 PagesYuhas English - 6 6 May, 2013 ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ and ‘The Red Convertible’ ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ by Ambrose Bierce and ‘The Red Convertible’ by Louise Erdrich both recount sorrowful tales of men during times of war. The stories differ in that ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ is a story written in reverse, where the readers do not truly know the plot until the end- whereas ‘The Red Convertible’ is just a man recounting the story of his long lost brother. However despiteRead MoreAn Analysis Of Louise Erdrich s The Red Convertible 840 Words   |  4 Pagesimportant than the characters of the story. In Louise Erdrich s The Red Convertible, the car played the same important role as the characters did, but for different reasons. Two brothers, Lyman and Henry, had very little in common other than their blood. One day they decided to catch a ride to Winnipeg. The car was introduced while these two were doing some sightseeing in the city. They spotted the red Oldsmobile convertible. Lyman, the storyteller, almost made the car a living thing when he said