The Red Convertible Analysis

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Pages: 3

War What Is It Good for? “The Red Convertible” written by Louise Erdrich tells the story of a bond two brothers shared that was lost due to the war at that time. Lyman and Henry have a bond in the story represented by a red convertible they bought together. Henry leaves for war and returns a changed man, Lyman desperately tries to get back that brother he once had leading to their departure as Henry and the red convertible drown together. In the novel “The Red Convertible” Louise explores issues of war and how it effects soldiers and their family. The story starts out foreshadowing the end of the story in the first paragraph, as well as the bond between Henry and Lyman. Lyman describes Henry when he returns “When he came home, though, Henry was very different, and I’ll say this: the change was no good.” (Erdrich 706). This quote from the text describes the first impression the reader receives about the outcome of Henry coming back home from the army. Lyman and his family notice how different Henry has become but they do not put much effort to help out Henry. Lyman remembers his mother saying, “‘They don’t fix them in those places,’ Mom said; ‘they just give them drugs.’ ‘We wouldn’t get him there in the first place,’ I agreed, ‘So let’s just forget about it.’” (Erdrich 707). The reader can tell …show more content…
The harsh environment as well as the mental and physical stress that soldiers of war are put through can greatly impact the soldier and their families. Henry is a victim of war as well as Lyman and his family. The story is told through Lyman’s prospective, the reader does not know what Henry is going through but can get an idea from Lyman wanting to get his old brother back so desperately. At the end of the story where Henry drowns in the river, makes the reader think what actually was going through Henrys mind and what made him make that