Red Convertible Character Analysis

Not many people would go the lengths Lyman did to try and help bring the light back into his brother, Henry. In the beginning of the story Henry and Lyman mutually decide to purchase a red convertible. When Lyman and Henry first purchased the car, Lyman describes the car as “alive”, “reposed” and “calm,” which reflected Henry’s personality at the beginning of the story. Lyman proves to be an especially sensitive character throughout the story. One example is Lyman's intuition that Henry needs a purpose upon his return from Vietnam and decides to damage the car that the two just bought. Upon seeing the car that Lyman just had destroyed, he then recognizes that the dented convertible is a physical reflection of his brothers mental state.

“We went places in that car, me and Henry. We took off driving all one whole summer.”(325) This quote gives the impression that the two brothers were very close to one another, and were able to be with each other in a close proximity for an extended amount of time. Also sharing a car can be very difficult but they both got their fair share and made it work. Before Henry went off to war, he was a goofy and playful character according to Lyman. In the scene with Susy, Henry took it upon himself and put Susy on his shoulders pretending to have hair ,jokingly saying “I always wondered what it was like to have long pretty hair.”(326) Soon after, the playful Henry that Lyman once knew so well, had lost his original self on the battlegrounds in Vietnam. Ever since that day Lyman proved to be a loyal and loving brother towards Henry.

To have hope in something or in someone you have to trust that it will all work out in the end. Lyman was hoping that him destroying the car will bring Henry back to his old self. Just as Lyman had planned, Henry decides to repair the automobile. During the repair stage Lyman watches and starts to see a change in his brother, as well as a change in the car's appearance. As Henry is attempting to fix the car, while at the same time trying to heal himself, he realizes that he will never