The Red Convertible: Themes

Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.

The Gravity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Erdrich depicts the effects of Henry Junior’s post-traumatic stress disorder from fighting in the Vietnam War in painful detail. Although Henry Junior’s experiences as a prisoner of war are not described, his transformation from happy teenager to an angry, anxious young man clearly indicates the depth of the psychic injury he has endured and continues to suffer. As a result, Henry Junior is unable to live a normal life and instead spends his time watching television in isolation. Henry Junior is unable to smile, laugh, or engage in his former interests and instead lives permanently on high alert. Lyman metaphorically compares Henry Junior’s constant state of vigilance to a rabbit ready to flee a predator. The predator for Henry Junior is the enemy forces of the Vietnam War. The opposing army is no longer a physical threat, but like many veterans, he has been conditioned to expect danger. Lyman regrets buying the color television because it is too realistic, keeping Henry Junior figuratively trapped in his time in Vietnam. The scene in which Henry Junior inadvertently bites through his own lip while watching television is meant to be a disturbing example of trauma-induced dissociation. After, Henry Junior metaphorically swallows down his own pain by eating food mixed with blood from the self-induced wound. The scene also acts as a kind of foreshadowing as it represents the way Henry Junior’s trauma is responsible for his death at the end of the story.

The Severity of Loss of Innocence

The story explores the severity of loss of innocence through Henry Junior’s transformation after his traumatic experience in Vietnam. Before Henry Junior goes to Vietnam, both brothers’ actions are marked by the impulsive optimism of youth. Lyman and Henry Junior buy the red convertible on a youthful whim, and they utilize the freedom of youth to the fullest, taking road trips without an itinerary and picking up hitchhikers like Susy. Susy’s long hair is a symbol of innocence and youth. When Henry Junior lifts Susy onto his shoulders to pretend her long hair is his own, he is figuratively wearing his innocence on the outside. The scene marks the last time he is joyful and innocent. After the war, the boy who playfully lifted Susy into the air is utterly gone. Henry Junior becomes anxious, angry, and reclusive as Lyman helplessly witnesses his brother’s severe transmutation. Lyman’s powerlessness to help Henry Junior and the grief of losing him ultimately strip him of his own youth and innocence. Lyman’s intentional smashing of the car represents the merciless destruction of his own innocence. Witnessing the harsh realities of the world quite literally kills Henry Junior and obliterates Lyman’s hope for the future’s possibilities.

The Profundity of Sibling Relationships

The complex relationship between Lyman and Henry Junior is a primary focus of the story. Like many brothers, Lyman and Henry Junior share a deep bond. They trust each other enough to make the large purchase of the red convertible together, and they genuinely enjoy each other’s company as they travel together. Lyman alludes to the fact that they may be half-brothers when he mentions their contrasting appearances, but at this point in the story, their differences highlight their closeness. Lyman’s diligent maintenance of the car while Henry Junior is fighting in the Vietnam War demonstrates his love for his brother. Lyman’s refusal to accept the red convertible as a gift and his insistence that he is only holding onto it temporarily emphasizes his hope that his brother will return to him.

The brothers’ relationship is forever changed when Henry Junior returns from Vietnam completely transformed by trauma. Lyman’s pain is palpable as he witnesses his formerly talkative and happy brother morph into a quiet, detached, and anxious person. All his efforts to reach Henry Junior are ineffective, but he never stops trying. When Lyman intentionally damages the red convertible in a naive attempt to engage Henry Junior in his former interests, it is an act of brotherly love. In some scenes, the brothers become physically violent with each other. The fighting is jarring, but it is a manifestation of the anger and pain both of them feel about what is happening to Henry Junior and their powerlessness to change it. The fight at the end of the story is particularly heartbreaking because it happens in the lead-up to Henry Junior’s tragic death. The loss of a sibling is traumatic, and this is particularly true for Lyman, who is deeply tied to his brother. When Lyman pushes the red convertible into the river after Henry Junior has drowned, he is symbolically refusing full ownership of it. The car represents their bond, and he doesn’t want it if his brother isn’t there to share it with him.

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