At first I thought this story was literally about a red convertible. I read the title and I immediately thought, "oh great, here we go another stupid and pointless story." But once i got half way through it, my opinion changed completely. I absolutely loved this story!!
One thing i loved about this story was the several different symbols that the car stood for. It is not just a hunk of metal and wires, but it symbolizes a brothers bond. It symbolizes the relationship Lyman and Henry have, before and after war. And it also symbolizes Henry's untimely demise.
Before war, Henry was happy, incredibly funny, and so full of life. Henry "went up to the chair and said, 'Jump on my shoulders.' So she did that, and her hair was flung out from side to side. 'I always wondered what it was like to have long pretty hair,' Henry says." Lyman, Susy and Henry all had a laugh when he did that. Henry would also love to "sit still in the afternoons, never moving a muscle", but all of that changed...
When Henry returned from war "he was very different". He was quiet and he was very uncomfortable sitting still, and he always had to be up and moving around. He wouldn't joke, he wouldn't laugh, infact, Henry was just "jumpy, and mean." Lyman and Henry were in the living room watching TV one night and Henry had bitten through his lip, blood went everywhere. Lyman was furious and went over to him, but Henry got up and shoved him against a wall.
Lyman wanted to salvage their relationship. Henry hadn't noticed the car since he was back, so Lyman decided to take a hammer to it one day to try and get Henry's attention. It took Henry over a month to notice the car, but when he did he was furious. He spent every day and night fixing it up. This shows Henry's commitment and dedication to fixing their relationship. Lyman was hurt because he just wanted his brother back; it used to always be "Henry and Lyman". Now Henry was just a loner.
At the end of the story when Henry jumps into the river, Lyman takes the car and drives it into the river as well. Lyman watches as "The wires short out", until "It is all finally dark." This symbolizes the end of their relationship. The car was the glue of their relationship; when the car became part of the river, the glue washed away with the current, as did the remains of Henry and Lyman's relationship.
This story reminds me of Stones - Timothy Findley. Both display characters that went to war, but did not fully return. As i said in my previous blog post, I am so appreciative of soldiers in the army because they put their lives on the line for people they don't even know. They protect everyone; bullies, drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, murderers, thieves, woman beaters, cheaters, and even child molesters. That is why I praise them, because even though the world is filled with horrible and degrading people, they still risk their lives to protect EVERYONE!
~~~~~~~ I personally would like to give a great big Thank You to the army, and every single soldier who dedicated their lives in the service. You are beyond courageous and I thank you. Because of what you did for our Country, future generations won't have to go to war.
In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce head amid the guns below.
~John McCrae
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