"The Red Convertible" by Louis Erdrich

A detailed Summary of "The Red Convertible" by Louis Erdrich

Louise Erdrich is a creative storywriter and she has had a long career of

perceptive stories dealing with Native Americans. John Habich from the Star Tribune once wrote

that "Louise Erdrich accomplishments in 2001 proved almost as remarkable as those of the

indefatigably eccentric characters in her books." She has won many awards and was a finalist for

the National Book Award. In the short story, "The Red Convertible", Erdrich uses an inanimate

object, the car, to create a bond between two brothers. The car, which is used as a means of

traveling, is used as the means to build a strong relationship between Lyman and Henry Lamartine,

two Native American brothers living on a reservation. The story begins when the younger brother,

Lyman, and his brother buy the car that started their brotherly bond together, "Then, before we

had thought it over at all, the car belonged to us and our pockets were empty. We had just enough

money got gas back home."(Erdrich, 184).

The car then sets off a long road trip that brings the two brothers to see and

experience a new land and new places. They meet a girl along the drive who brings them all the

And if his brother wasn't there anymore, what good was the car to drive around.

and so did the communication between the brothers.

Approximate Word count = 1259
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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