28 pages • 56 minutes read
Louise ErdrichA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Content Warning: This section contains references to war-related trauma.
The convertible represents freedom and independence: The boys can go wherever they like so long as they have gas money. It also represents a mutual future. Driving in the fixed-up car with Henry to the Red River recalls the summer road trip and the perfect happiness the brothers had together. It’s Lyman’s greatest wish to get that feeling back, and he believes in the car’s ability to make that happen.
The car also reminds the reader of young Lyman’s lack of independence—or rather, his dependence on his older brother for his sense of self and purpose. He refuses to do anything but fix the car up while Henry’s in Vietnam. He won’t accept the keys either time Henry tries to give him full ownership of the car: The first time he makes a joke, and the second time they come to blows over the issue. Lyman runs the car into the river at the end of the story, solidifying the loss of the carefree childhood he once had with Henry. However, making the choice to abandon the symbol of independence paradoxically frees Lyman from the need to define himself by this symbol, ushering in a new potential future and marking his
By Louise Erdrich
Antelope Woman
Antelope Woman
Louise Erdrich
Fleur
Fleur
Louise Erdrich
Future Home of the Living God
Future Home of the Living God
Louise Erdrich
LaRose
LaRose
Louise Erdrich
Love Medicine
Love Medicine
Louise Erdrich
Shadow Tag
Shadow Tag
Louise Erdrich
The Beet Queen
The Beet Queen
Louise Erdrich
The Bingo Palace
The Bingo Palace
Louise Erdrich
The Birchbark House
The Birchbark House
Louise Erdrich
The Game of Silence
The Game of Silence
Louise Erdrich
The Leap
The Leap
Louise Erdrich
The Master Butchers Singing Club
The Master Butchers Singing Club
Louise Erdrich
The Mighty Red
The Mighty Red
Louise Erdrich
The Night Watchman
The Night Watchman
Louise Erdrich
The Painted Drum
The Painted Drum
Louise Erdrich
The Plague Of Doves
The Plague Of Doves
Louise Erdrich
The Round House
The Round House
Louise Erdrich
The Sentence
The Sentence
Louise Erdrich
The Shawl
The Shawl
Louise Erdrich
Tracks
Tracks
Louise Erdrich