The Red Convertible (1984)
Encyclopedia
"The Red Convertible" is a short story and chapter from Love Medicine
, a collection of narratives, written in 1984 by the American author Louise Erdrich
. The story focuses on the relationship dynamics between Lyman Lamartine and his brother Henry, a soldier who was deployed in the Vietnam War. The setting of the story is reminiscent of the setting that Erdrich lived in during the 1960s. The Lamartines live on a reservation just as Erdrich, of German and Native American descent did in Wahpeton, North Dakota
, as a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.
Three years after Henry was drafted, he returns home for Lyman to see how he has changed in the time he was away. The war did a number on Henry's personality according to Lyman. The old Henry was replaced by a war-hardened soldier who could not simply rejoin his and Lyman's youthful brotherly relationship. Henry wore only his broken-in clothes and military boots that he had during his time in Vietnam. Lyman had bought a colored television for his mother's past birthday, and found regret for doing so when he saw Henry become entranced by the vivid colors, rather than the seemingly distant black and white, that made the war still seem so present. Lyman noticed that Henry had not even thought about the car once since he returned, and hints at it hoping that the memories the car holds will restore the old Henry and restore their relationship.
With hope for his old brother Henry to return, Lyman takes a hammer to the car in a fit of anger and sadness realizing that a relationship similar to what they once knew was no longer attainable. Henry comes back to see the run down convertible and exclaims his interest for restoring the car to Lyman. Henry worked hard on restoring the car all day and all night in the cold alone, as Lyman wallowed in sorrow that it was no longer "Henry and Lyman" (Erdrich 310).
Henry patched the car and the two took it for a drive around the town down to the river. Henry tried to give Lyman full ownership of the car but Lyman refused constantly. The two of them started to wrestle and fist fight over the issue. Lyman gets a good hit under Henry's chin and Henry begins to laugh and tells Lyman to "Ha! Ha! Take good care of it" (Erdrich 311). The brothers enjoy a short moment of laughter and then sit and think about how things used to be. After spending a few good moments together, Henry runs and jumps into the river to cool off he tells Lyman. Then apathetically, Henry notifies that his boots filled with water and he goes under in the current. Lyman rushes to rescue his brother but to no avail. He then turns on the car and runs it into the river, watching it sink to its demise just like Henry.
Henry Lamartine - Lyman's brother and closest companion, he is drafted into the Vietnam War and returns a changed man. He struggles to re-adapt to his normal life with his family at home and eventually is drowned by his boots filling with water, or more symbolically by mentalities he adopted during his time in the war.
Susy - a girl that the brothers met spontaneously on a road trip and decide to drive her home to Chicken, Alaska.
Bonita Lamartine - the boys' eleven year old younger sister who took a picture of the boys that Lyman kept. The picture showed Henry's face hidden with holes of shadows and Lyman's face bright with sun.
Another minor symbol in the story is the picture that Bonita took of the boys with the red convertible. In it, Lyman's face is clear and happy, while Henry's face is hidden by a shadow in the picture. This image is foreshadowing of the events to come, and Henry's fading away from his family. Erdrich uses the relationship of Lyman and Henry to express the saddening effects of war on close relationships between soldiers and people they care about at home. War causes change in men and leads the hardened war-torn men to be distanced both physically and mentally from their families.
Love Medicine
Love Medicine is Louise Erdrich’s first novel, published in 1984. Erdrich revised and expanded the novel for an edition issued in 1993, and this version was considered the definitive edition until 2009 when Erdrich re-edited it...
, a collection of narratives, written in 1984 by the American author Louise Erdrich
Louise Erdrich
Karen Louise Erdrich, known as Louise Erdrich, is an author of novels, poetry, and children's books featuring Native American heritage. She is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance...
. The story focuses on the relationship dynamics between Lyman Lamartine and his brother Henry, a soldier who was deployed in the Vietnam War. The setting of the story is reminiscent of the setting that Erdrich lived in during the 1960s. The Lamartines live on a reservation just as Erdrich, of German and Native American descent did in Wahpeton, North Dakota
Wahpeton, North Dakota
The first European explorer in the area was Jonathan Carver in 1767. He explored and mapped the Northwest at the request of Major Robert Rogers, commander of Fort Michilimackinac, the British fort at Mackinaw City, Michigan, which protected the passage between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron...
, as a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.
Plot Summary
The story of "The Red Convertible" is set in the year 1974 on a Chippewa Native American reservation in North Dakota, and briefly extends as far as Alaska during a road trip that Lyman and his brother Henry went on. It is narrated by Lyman Lamartine who recounts his memories of the relationship between his brother and him, and the good times they had with the car until Henry is deployed for war in Vietnam. Lyman misses his brother dearly and writes him constantly, telling the reader about happy times and youthful trouble he and his brother used to get into when they were younger.Three years after Henry was drafted, he returns home for Lyman to see how he has changed in the time he was away. The war did a number on Henry's personality according to Lyman. The old Henry was replaced by a war-hardened soldier who could not simply rejoin his and Lyman's youthful brotherly relationship. Henry wore only his broken-in clothes and military boots that he had during his time in Vietnam. Lyman had bought a colored television for his mother's past birthday, and found regret for doing so when he saw Henry become entranced by the vivid colors, rather than the seemingly distant black and white, that made the war still seem so present. Lyman noticed that Henry had not even thought about the car once since he returned, and hints at it hoping that the memories the car holds will restore the old Henry and restore their relationship.
With hope for his old brother Henry to return, Lyman takes a hammer to the car in a fit of anger and sadness realizing that a relationship similar to what they once knew was no longer attainable. Henry comes back to see the run down convertible and exclaims his interest for restoring the car to Lyman. Henry worked hard on restoring the car all day and all night in the cold alone, as Lyman wallowed in sorrow that it was no longer "Henry and Lyman" (Erdrich 310).
Henry patched the car and the two took it for a drive around the town down to the river. Henry tried to give Lyman full ownership of the car but Lyman refused constantly. The two of them started to wrestle and fist fight over the issue. Lyman gets a good hit under Henry's chin and Henry begins to laugh and tells Lyman to "Ha! Ha! Take good care of it" (Erdrich 311). The brothers enjoy a short moment of laughter and then sit and think about how things used to be. After spending a few good moments together, Henry runs and jumps into the river to cool off he tells Lyman. Then apathetically, Henry notifies that his boots filled with water and he goes under in the current. Lyman rushes to rescue his brother but to no avail. He then turns on the car and runs it into the river, watching it sink to its demise just like Henry.
Characters
Lyman Lamartine - narrator of the story, he recounts the events of his relationship with his brother and the good times they shared with the red convertible, and the downfall of their relationship after his brother changes from three years of military service.Henry Lamartine - Lyman's brother and closest companion, he is drafted into the Vietnam War and returns a changed man. He struggles to re-adapt to his normal life with his family at home and eventually is drowned by his boots filling with water, or more symbolically by mentalities he adopted during his time in the war.
Susy - a girl that the brothers met spontaneously on a road trip and decide to drive her home to Chicken, Alaska.
Bonita Lamartine - the boys' eleven year old younger sister who took a picture of the boys that Lyman kept. The picture showed Henry's face hidden with holes of shadows and Lyman's face bright with sun.
Symbolism
The main symbol used in "The Red Convertible" is the car itself. The red flashy car represents the youthful, vibrant, and exciting relationship between Lyman and Henry. The boys spend much of their time together and care for each other deeply as is shown by their actions and the road trip they go on. Before the war, the car is in mint condition and the boys are happier than ever. During the war, when Henry and Lyman are separated, the car is left alone, sitting in the garage untouched. When Henry comes back from the war a changed man, Lyman tries to rekindle their relationship, but when his efforts fail, he destroys the car, and in turn symbolically destroying their relationship. Henry wants to remain close with his brother and restore his personality of course, so he spends countless hours trying to repair the car. When he does, the boys seem to have a glimmer of hope as they go for a drive to reminisce about the good times. At the end when Henry drowns and is lost forever, Lyman pushes the car into the river to sink with him, representing that the connection that they once had is now drowned, dead, and lost forever.Another minor symbol in the story is the picture that Bonita took of the boys with the red convertible. In it, Lyman's face is clear and happy, while Henry's face is hidden by a shadow in the picture. This image is foreshadowing of the events to come, and Henry's fading away from his family. Erdrich uses the relationship of Lyman and Henry to express the saddening effects of war on close relationships between soldiers and people they care about at home. War causes change in men and leads the hardened war-torn men to be distanced both physically and mentally from their families.