What can a red convertible mean to two brothers? Authors know what topic their story is going to focus on when they write it. However, many authors choose not to put it in plain text for the readers. Instead, they give hints and clues to trigger the reader to pull out the topic from the story. One of the main ways authors do this is through the title they give their story. Louise Erdrich named her story "The Red Convertible" for a good reason, to make the readers see how important a red convertible can be. Louise Erdrich uses the red convertible to symbolize Lyman and Henry's brotherhood from their tight bond to their falling out.
The purchasing of the red convertible is the puzzle piece that builds Henry and Lyman's strong brotherhood. Being brothers and co-owners of the car, they share a common bond. It also gives the two brothers the freedom they had searched for since they were kids.
Portrait of Henry Ford (ca. 1919)
English: Isabelle Reinharez, translator of Louise ...
Abstract Photo of radio antenna on a red convertib...The car symbolizes Henry and Lyman not only as a team, but also as it takes them to a new level and creates a great friendship as well. The car takes them all over the country, and this gives them plenty of time to form a tight bond. The convertible also creates a complete circle of love. Henry and Lyman also share the same feelings in the car. They like the car so much that they go so far as to give it human characteristics: "There it was, parked, large as life. Really as if it was alive" (Erdrich 184). They make the car seem like another brother to them. This takes their double bond and creates a triple bond, making them inseparable. Henry and Lyman do not know that the war will have the strength...