Henry and Lyman are brothers that live on an Indian Reservation. Lyman is the brother that has all the luck. He does various jobs and ends up owning a the diner that he first started working at as a bus boy. One day a tornado hits the diner. Lyman isn't too worried though because he gets insurance money for it. One day Lyman and his brother take off to buy a red convertible they saw. They take this car on a trip all the way up to Alaska, because they picked up a girl who needed a ride there. Once they get home Henry is called to the Vietnam War. Henry finally returns home after three years and appears to be different. He doesn't speak or stop moving around. Lyman wants Henry to look at the convertible, so Lyman goes out and breaks parts and bangs it up so Henry will have to fix it up in order to drive it. Henry finally gets all fixed up and they go for a drive. Henry insists that Lyman take the car for himself, Lyman says no, and they begin to fight. Lyman agrees to take it finally. Henry and Lyman stop along this river and start drinking. Henry says he's going to go for a swim, but the current carries him away. Lyman can't believe this and he pushes the car into the river after Henry.
Response
“The Red Convertible” is a story that truly depicts the horror that a family goes through when having a member of the family go to war. Henry and Lyman are brothers and have a close relationship with each other. They get their money together and decide to buy a red convertible to share. This red convertible is that representation of their relationship. Henry and Lyman’s relationship starts out in good condition, just like the newly bought car. Then they take it on a road trip to Alaska. The car needs some fixing up, but still remains nice.
Henry is called to war and has to leave behind his brother and car. This shows that he leaving or kind of abandoning his relationship with his brother. While Henry is away Lyman tries to write to him, but the enemy intercepts the letters and Lyman is pretty sure they never get to Henry. In this part of the story to can see the relationship is falling apart, so is the car. Lyman begins disassembling the car and taking out parts and re-doing them. This again proves that the red convertible represents Henry and Lyman’s relationship.
After three years Henry finally returns home. He isn’t the same at all. He won’t talk and he is very jumpy, and can’t sit still. He continues to not talk or be social for many weeks. The only thing that intrigues him is the color television that Lyman bought for his mother. He likes this because it’s so real and doesn’t look like the past.
One day Lyman goes out to the convertible and destroys it and breaks parts to see if Henry will notice. After a few months pass Henry finally notices and yells at Lyman for not keeping it nice. So Henry begins to fix it and re-do it. This represents that start to Lyman and Henry mending their relationship. After lots of hard work Henry finally gets the car running, and their relationship becomes mended and well.
One day they take the newly fixed car out on a drive. Henry all of a sudden becomes white and furious. Lyman knows exactly what’s happening. Henry figured out that Lyman purposely broke parts and hurt the car so Henry would fix it. Henry explains that Lyman must have the car, but Lyman refuses. They stop the car and begin fighting. Finally they stop and laugh about it and Lyman says he’ll take the car.
Henry says he’s going to swim quickly in the river along the side of the road where they stopped. Lyman hears Henry splash into the river but then it becomes silent. Lyman rushes to see what’s wrong. He finds that the current in the river has taken Henry and he can’t fight it. This saddens Lyman. Lyman goes and gets the car and puts in neutral and let’s in dump into the river. This is the end of the car and the end of Lyman and Henry’s relationship.
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