The Red Convertible By Louise Erdrich

Introduction

''The Red Convertible'' is narrated by Lyman Lamartine, a member of the Chippewa tribe who lives on a reservation with his family. He tells a story from his recent past about his older half-brother, Henry. As Lyman tells the story, the year is 1974.

“The Red Convertible,” is a distinct representation of light and darkness relating to conclusive sacrificial events. This short story takes one through what begins as a normal everyday life of two unique individuals, and as the story progresses the reader is taken through the affairs and actions that later lead to Henry's destiny. Through the use of theme, characterization, and symbolism Erdrich delivered a remarkable and memorable story.

Discussion

The theme of sacrifice is touched on throughout the entirety of the short story. Erdrich does a fine job of giving the reader clues as to the sacrifice that will take form later on. Towards the beginning of the short story, Erdrich goes on to describe how Henry was laying down with his arms spread wide open - a signal of his sacrifice that was soon to come. It is a known in many cultures that any type of spreading of arms or cross-like pose has been a great key for the theme sacrifice. Another fine example would be when Henry bit through his lip and started bleeding from it. Blood is almost an instinctive sensory object for communicating a sacrifice that will take shape in the near future, and Erdrich is sure to put such objects to use.

From a passage in the story Erdrich declares, “every time he took a bite of his bread his blood fell onto it until he was eating his own blood mixed in with the food” (Erdrich, 410). Powerful words and visions, such as these, build up a great understanding in one's own mind of Henry's sacrificial state of being. The blood has been shed, the inevitability of a sacrifice deems true.

Another key element Erdrich touches on is characterization. While interpreting the short story one begins to notice how Lyman comes off as a lucky individual, while Henry is always struggling and is never quite in the light. A leading demonstration would be Lyman's financial success. Lyman was always able to create wealth for himself no matter what the conditions were. “My own talent was I could always make money” (Erdrich, 407), Lyman explains. Henry, on the other hand, was never one to achieve reputable status in the field of moneymaking.

Whether it was his laid-back approach or his inability to work, Henry's financial life was always covered with a dark cloud. The drawing of numbers for the army was yet another showcase as to how Lyman was always getting lucky. In the words of Lyman, “I always had good luck with numbers, and never worried about the draft myself. I never even had to think about what my number was” (Erdrich, 409). Henry was not so lucky, however, and he ended up fighting for the army due to his ...