Character Analysis: The Red Convertible

The Red Convertible
Although at first glance the car in “The Red Convertible” may seem to only be a small part of the story, it was really much more than that. The story is told in first person from the perspective of Lyman, who co owned the car with his older brother Henry. Throughout the story the relationship between the two brothers is constantly changing, but some of the biggest changes in their relationship occur while significant changes in the car happen as well. At first the car simply seems to be a way for the brothers to bond and work together, but the car actually symbolizes the brothers' relationship, and how that relationship changes over time.
In the beginning of the story, Lyman explains that he had unusually good luck with

making money. He also briefly details some of the differences between him and his brother, Henry. Lyman began working at the Joliet café as a dish washer, and eventually became the owner of the entire restaurant at just 16 years of age. However, after a tornado ruined the café, Lyman received a check and quickly used the money to buy a red convertible, splitting the cost with his brother. While Lyman used the money he gained from the Joliet's insurance, Henry used his regular paycheck as well as a weeks extra pay for being laid off from his job. Although the two brothers acquired their money in very different ways, they both used it to buy something that they both loved, the red convertible.
After buying the car, the brothers went everywhere together.

“We went places in that car, me and Henry. We took off one whole summer” (331). With the car in such good shape, Henry and Lyman were able to drive wherever they wanted with it. This is similar to the condition of the brothers relationship at that time. Towards the end of the summer, they began the journey home and returned to their normal lives. “We'd made most of the trip, that summer, without putting up the car hood at all” (332). The car remaining in good condition despite all the time that it was driven that summer is also a symbol of the brothers relationship. Even though Henry and Lyman spent so much time together, they did not get tired of each other or even have any arguments. Once they arrived back home, Henry soon left for training camp for the army and eventually was sent to Vietnam. After being caught by the enemy, Henry spent three years in Vietnam before being able to return home. During Henry's absence, Lyman spent nearly all of his time working on the car and making sure that it stayed in perfect condition. This symbolizes Lyman's attempt to keep he and his brothers relationship the same even though they were not

together.
When Henry returned home, it quickly became clear to Lyman that their relationship had changed.

“You could hardly expect him to change for the better, I know. But he was quiet, so quiet, and never comfortable sitting still anywhere but always up and moving around” (333). The car, however, was in perfect condition and was ready to drive, but Henry barely noticed. Lyman eventually decides that in order for he and Henry's relationship to return to its original condition, they must once again bond through the car. This lead to Lyman taking a hammer to the car in order to get Henry's attention. “I had been feeling down in the dumps about Henry around this time. We had always been together before. Henry and Lyman” (334). Henry eventually noticed the cars condition, and soon began working on it to restore it to its original glory. Although Henry and Lyman's relationship was not repaired quickly, as the work on the car progressed the condition of the brothers relationship improved as

well.
Finally, the car was restored and the brothers decided to take it for a drive. “The trip over there was beautiful. When everything starts changing, drying up, clearing off, you feel like your whole life is starting up,” (335). Taking the trip in the restored car signifies that the brothers relationship is slowly returning to normal, and leaves the reader with hope that as the season changes in to summer, their relationship will only improve. However, once they arrive at the river, Henry and Lyman get into an argument, but their anger ends as quickly as it started. Henry then decides that he needs to cool down by jumping into the river, but the current drags him too far from the shore, and he eventually goes under the water and does not resurface. After searching for Henry in the river, Lyman gets into the car, puts it in gear and then lets it roll into the river. Lyman letting the car roll in to the river is a symbol of yet another change in the boys relationship—the end of it. When the lights on the car finally go out, it signifies the true end of their relationship. Lyman putting the car into the river also means that he valued the time he was able to spend with his brother in the car more than actually having the car.