The Red Convertible

            This story really struck out to me after I had read it.  After reading the story, I immediately thought of a novel that I read in high school called The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.  The novel is a collection of stories that Tim O’Brien writes about a company of soldiers during the Vietnam War.  Although the narrator of the story is named Tim O’Brien, O’Brien claims that it is a fictional work based on his life experiences.  The story focuses on what the soldiers physically carried, different stories that happened to the company, and how the soldiers coped with war both at war and when they return home.

“The Red Convertible” reminded me of this book because of the descriptions of Henry after the war and how he changed with the baggage of his experience in the war.  The book made me sympathize for all of the soldiers in war because they go through so much that it can be impossible for some to escape or overcome.  As Lyman says, “the change was no good.  You can hardly expect him to change for the better.”  We see the ultimate result of the change at the conclusion of the story when Henry commits suicide.  Henry can no longer tolerate living in this half-dead state.  He specifically claims that he has tried to wake up but it is no use; he is changed forever.  Lyman mentions how Henry cannot escape the war even when he comes home, “for him it would keep on going.”

This story was really quite depressing.  It also brings to light the tragic reality of the effects that war can have on soldiers.  Lyman missed the relationship he had with his brother and tried to repair it, but he was not able to succeed.  He destroys the car in the river because it was a reminder of his brother and how he changed, just like he hides the picture of them by the car. 

Overall, I thought the story to be very meaningful.  Louise Erdrich did a good job in my opinion of conveying his message of the story as well as some other themes such as racial tensions.