This assignment focuses on the close reading of one story in order to analyze one character. Choose one of the following characters to analyze: Connie from Where are you going, where have you
been?, Delia from Sweat, or Lyman from The Red Convertible.
To prepare for this assignment:
1. Re-read the short story you have chosen, highlighting sections of the story that will help you
prove your points about the character you are analyzing.
2. Read Chapter 5 in our textbook about fictional elements, particularly character.
3. Read the document in this folder called How to write a character analysis you will not be
able to complete this assignment unless you follow the step-by-step guidelines in this
document! This is the key to your success with this assignment!
4. This essay should be 3-4 pages, double-spaced, with a Works Cited page at the end.
A good character analysis is organized this way:
1. Section A, first paragraph: identify the kind of character you are writing about (protagonist,
antagonist, dynamic see attached document for explanations. Be sure to provide specific examples
from the story to prove your ideas). All of these characters are dynamic.
2. Section B, next several paragraphs: describe the character (see attached document for ideas, How
to Write a Character Analysis). You want to spend at least two-three paragraphs discussing how this
character becomes dynamic. See the How To document for a detailed discussion.
3. Section C: identify and discuss the conflict in the story as it relates to the character you have
chosen (see the attached document for a review of standard conflicts in literature).
THE RED CONVERTIBLE
Main content
In The Red Convertible, Erdrich uses symbolism in a variety of ways. The most important symbol is the title car, the significance of which changes as the story unfolds. Erdrichs use of symbolism in this way gives her story depth and complexity and enables her to communicate ideas and character developments without lengthy explanations. As a result, the red convertible embodies, at various points in the story, everything the story is meant to express.
Fraternal bonds, freedom, innocence, control, and wisdomall of these themes are carried by one red convertible.
Perhaps the convertibles greatest contribution to the story is as a symbol of the relationship between Lyman and Henry. Initially, it represents their close companionship. They bought it together on a whim, which demonstrates their willingness to share a major responsibility and to do so on impulse. After buying it, they took a summer-long road trip together. The decision to take the trip was mutual, and their unplanned approach to the trip also was mutual. That they enjoyed the extended trip shows that they were close and genuinely enjoyed each others company.
The convertible symbolizes the brothers reaching out to each other. Before leaving for Vietnam, Henry used the car to reach out to Lyman. He told Lyman to take the car, and he handed over his key. After returning from the war, Henry was emotionally distant, but again he tried to give Lyman full ownership of the car. These are significant episodes in the story because they reveal Henrys love for Lyman. As a Chippewa, Henry learned to be reserved in expressing his feelings; his culture expected men to refrain from emotional displays. Because of this, he would not tell his brother outright that he loved him, wanted him to be independent, or feared that he (Henry) might not return from the war. Instead, he expressed these feelings by offering the car to his brother.
Lyman used the car as a means to reach out to Henry. When Henry returned from the war moody, detached, and silent, Lyman intentionally damaged the car to get Henry involved in something. When Henry saw the condition of the car, he said to Lyman, When I left, that car was running like a watch. Now I dont know if I can get it to start again, let alone get it anywhere near its old condition. Henrys statement is deeply significant when read in light of the cars dual meaning. Lymans decision to damage the convertible was important because he saw the car as his brothers only chance of regaining his sense of self. When Lyman damaged the car, cosmetically and mechanically, he demonstrated his willingness to risk not only a prized possession but also his relationship with his brother (symbolized by the car) for his brothers happiness. The changing physical condition of the car is also symbolic of the relationship of the brothers because it reflects the status of their brotherly closeness.
Besides symbolizing the complex relationship between Lyman and Henry, the convertible represents other aspects of the characters inner worlds. During the summer road trip, it represented freedom. At the time, Lyman was only sixteen, an age at which most young people long to explore the world and to make their own decisions. Together, Lyman and Henry used the car to leave the reservation where they lived and to see what was beyond its borders.
The convertible also symbolizes the carefree, innocent life that precedes Henrys three years in Vietnam. Lyman and Henry traveled without care or worry, enjoying whatever experiences came their way. When Henry prepared to leave for Vietnam, he gave Lyman his key to the car. Henry likely realized that by going to Vietnam, he was sacrificing his innocence. Lyman, however, could still enjoy being carefree, so, by giving Lyman his key, Henry was encouraging him to embrace his last innocent years. At the end of the story, Henry dies in the river, and Lyman runs the car in after him. This is a highly symbolic moment because it represents the end of Lymans innocence as well as the end of the brothers relationship. The car had no meaning for him after his brother was gone, and he had learned too much about the world to feel carefree again.
The car represents as well a much-needed outlet for Henry after the war. When he came home, he was unable to function as he had in the past. After Lyman damaged the car, Henry had the opportunity to work toward a goal, instead of watching television all day. In this way, the car symbolizes Henrys need for a sense of purpose and mastery. He did not know how to be a member of his family or community, but he did know how to fix the car. Fixing the car seems to have lifted his spirits because it was familiar and something that allowed him to feel useful and competent for a while.
The Red Convertible is a seemingly simple story, but the changing symbolism of the car gives it richness and depth. In describing metaphors, scholars often use the terms vehicle and tenor. The vehicle is the image used to communicate meaning (the tenor) to the reader. Applying this terminology to the convertible in Erdrichs story, the reader finds numerous tenors revealed through one literal vehicle. Fraternal bonds, freedom, innocence, control, and wisdomall of these themes are carried by one red convertible.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group, COPYRIGHT 2007 Gale
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Bussey, Jennifer. Critical Essay on The Red Convertible. Short Stories for Students, edited by Jennifer Smith, vol. 14, Gale, 2002. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1420040746/LitRC?u=mlin_c_wachcc&sid=ebsco&xid=155f6bd8. Accessed 15 Nov. 2021.
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The Red Convertible (Short story)
Erdrich, Louise
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