Louise Erdrich's "The Red Convertible" Essay Example

The story is short and straight to the point without the involvement of many characters which enhance the flow. Louise clearly states the events in the story that revolve around war issues. It is a short narrative that is in line with the attempts of most American families to cope with and come up with strategies to control the impact of the Vietnam war on them. Narratives of war are mostly engaging and have the reader putting themselves in the shoe of the affected people and studying the ways they would have used if they were in the same situation. "The Red Convertible" describes how the families made efforts in the Vietnam war and their relations before and after the issues. It is a great story that a ready would enjoy reading as the central idea is about family and brotherhood.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The story is narrated using first-person, and the narrator is Lyman Lamartine who was the brother to Henry, and the two are the main characters in the story. They reveal their family relationship as brothers and the impact of the war on them. The two share a strong bond, and the convertible even gives them a better opportunity to be closer than before. The setting of the story is in Chippewa Native American reservation in North Dakota back in the years 1974. The story also includes regions of Alaska where Lyman states that it is the region they took their trip (Erdrich, 2009). The beginning of the story presents the reader with the notion of the convertible that Lyman says he was the first person in the whole Chippewa reservation to be in possession of the machine. The statement from Lyman leaves the reader wondering where he got all the money to own a convertible since it is a machine of high innovation and it was likely that it only belonged to the rich people of North Dakota.

Lyman in the narrative is presented as a man with the natural knack for business, and he was considered as one of the fewest people in the region that were knowledgeable about making money. His thrill for business helped him amass wealth and money that he used to live the luxurious life he always wished for and get the best prestigious commodities that would make other people envy him. On one of the beautiful days in their reservation, Lyman and his brother buy a red convertible. The fact that the machine was a flashy red car, it represented the relationship between these two bothers that was youthful, vibrant and exciting. They would use the car for the majority of their endeavors that they would enjoy. The strong bond would continue being built by sharing the convertible machine. Lyman does not, however, mention the business he conducted to get so much money, but he also suggested that the money left was enough for gas (Erdrich, 2009). The story shows the physical differences of these two brothers stating that Henry had an Indian nose while Lyman did not, but they managed to stay close. The readers are presented with what is expected of a family and the character of brotherhood. Siblings need to stay close because they share a thing in common. This part is critical to the reader because it is essential to take note of the relationship and how it ends up in the rest of the story.

Lyman and Henry travel all over and the places they go to include Wakpala, Fort Berthold and Rocky Boy in Montana among other regions making the story more of an adventure narrative. It is during one of the many trips that they come across Susy, a short girl they said had a Princess Leia hairstyle. Lyman thought to himself that she looked funny in moccasins and a nightgown. The two decide that they should take the girl to Chicken, Alaska where the trio enjoys the real town located in East Alaska. They get to discover that the people of the area are kind and they feel that they are close to nature. Henry begins to realize how it is like to have long hair when they discover that Susy's hair is nearly seven feet long. The part describes how people ignore trivial things that they think have no importance and when it is another person involved, they realize its outstanding nature. The two then return to their reservation area where Henry receives a summons to join the military he had signed up for the service earlier. The writer uses plot twist to show the separation of the two brothers by war, but because it was necessary, Henry had to leave to serve his region.

Henry joins the Marine Corps and his station in Northern Vietnam. He sends two letters to his family in 1970 and Lyman is left wondering if he has been captured already. Lyman writes letters to Henry though he knows very well that Henry is not in a position to receive them. This part of the story continues to show the bond between these two brothers and the reader can almost feel the emptiness that Henry leaves behind (Erdrich, 2009). However, the family needs to cope with the situation hoping that the war would come to an end and Henry would get back. This is the ideal picture of a united family built on strong relationships. Individuals should strive to create a bond of this type with their siblings which act as an example to the rest of young members. When Lyman writes letters to Henry, he continually talks about his aim to keep the convertible in good condition because he was aware of the value it brought to him and the family at large. Even though already gave the car to Lyman, he still takes it to be Henry's and cares for it the way Henry would have liked. It reveals the character of Lyman to be reliable and consistent even in the absence of his brother. Lyman demonstrated that his brother could depend on him to oversee the wellbeing of the family.

Henry returns to the reservation after three years, and he seems different from when he left. Some of the noticeable changes were that he had lost his sense of humor and at the time when he laughed, the noise he produced was coarse, and people felt disturbed. The changes were unusual of him even though it was logical that three years of constant military service was such a long time to forget about the issues of the family because they were not anywhere near and no communication would reach them. Henry is seen to be continually fidgeting, he is less kind to people and that he was incapable of finding peace. The military service must have had dire consequences of his abilities and behaviors though one could not ascertain the reason for such changes.

At the time when Henry was serving in the military, Lyman bought a colored TV. To ease or completely stop the constant fidgeting, Henry would watch the colored TV. However, one could still notice that he was restless and that TV could not solve his problems, the likely reason for Henry's behavior was because of the possible trauma that the events of the war may have caused. The Tv only acted as a temporary distraction, but it was not a real remedy for the trauma experience. Lyman is disheartened at the condition of his brother now that they are not able to share stories like they used to before. Lyman needs to think of possible ways that he could use to restore his brother's condition to a better state where their relationship would continue growing. Lyman feels bad that Henry has also lost considerable interest in the car which had been their symbol of the bond. He decides that to get his brother's interest in the vehicle reignited, he needed to vandalize it with purpose. His actions were intended on restoring Henry's interest, and that was the best way he could design his method. In vandalizing the convertible. He ripped out the muffler and bent the rail pipe (Erdrich, 2009). He also throws dirt to the carburetor such that the machine looked like it was in bad shape. It is after a month that Henry finally comes to realize that the convertible was not in good condition where he sets tome and allocates energy to have the car fixed. The method seemed to have served Henry better since the car was valuable to them.

One of the beautiful days, Lyman and Henry go out to take a ride, and since the suggestion is by Henry, it is clear that Lyman must be overjoyed because his thoughts are that he has been able to bring his brother back. Bonita, their younger sister, takes a picture of them as they stood in from the restored convertible. Henry decides that they should get to the Red River to view the high tides. While they were at the beautiful scenery, Henry admits that the reason why he fixed the car was so that Lyman could have it once more. However, Lyman is not in support of the idea because it would mean that he lost his brother. However, Henry persists that Lyman should have the car and an argument arises leading to a big fight. Suddenly, they all start to laugh at the head to get several beers. Henry goes, but unfortunately, he misjudges the currents and drowns. Lyman drives to the bank and rolls the convertible into the water to be with Henry. The story is interesting showing the essence of family and impacts of traumatic events like way on the individual members. The members need to try as much as possible to accommodate the members of their families despite the conditions that may not be favorable. The decision of Lyman to roll the car into the water so that it also rests with Henry shows his great disappointment for failed efforts.

Work cited

Erdrich, Louise. The Red Convertible. HarperLuxe, 2009.