The Red Convertible

Who is the author?

Louise Erdrich

What collection is this from?

Love Medicine

When was this written?

1984

Who owned the red convertible?

the narrator, Lyman, and his older brother Henry Junior

What is Lyman's 1 talent?

Being able to always make money

What was his 1st job?

shine shoes, and one Christmas he sold spiritual bouquets door-to-door

What was his BIG break?

He got a job at Joliet's Café washing dishes. He got promoted to busing tables, and then the short order cook, and then he was the manager of Joliet. Became part owner, and then he owned the whole thing.

What happened to Joliet's Café?

It got destroyed in a tornado a year after Lyman owned it. He was only 16 when this happened.

What happened the first time they saw the convertible?

Him and his brother got a ride and they both had money. They were walking down the street when they both saw it parked. They didn't even think it over before they bought it. They had just enough $ for gas back home.

Where did they go in that car?

They traveled around in that car for a whole summer

Where did they meet the girl?

somewhere in Montana

Where does the girl tell them to take her?

Alaska

What happens when they get there?

They don't want to leave because they loved it so much.

What is the girl's name?

Susy

What did Susy show the boys that surprised them so much?

How long her hair was. It touched the ground.

What happened right as the boys get home?

The army remembers that Henry signed up for it.

What happened when Henry got back from war?

He was very different; he was quiet, never comfortable sitting still anywhere, wouldn't laugh, turned jumpy and mean

What did Lyman buy for his family while Henry was away?

A color TV set

What happened when Henry and Lyman were watching TV?

Lyman looked over and saw that Henry had bitten through his lip and blood was running down his chin.

What did they want to do with Henry?

Get him help from a doctor somewhere, but they couldn't even get him to a place if they wanted to.

How did Lyman get Henry interested in the car?

He made it look like a beat up piece of shit

What did Henry do with all of his time?

He spent all of his time working on the car.

What is so special about the picture?

They took it the day Henry finished the car and they took it for a drive. He was drunk and high one night and looked at it and couldn't even stay in the same room as it.

What happened when the boys took the car for a drive?

They were sitting by the fire when Lyman could feel something squeezing and tightening inside and he knew he was feeling what Henry felt. He gets up and screams over and over "wake up!" but Henry says, "it's no use"

What happens when they start talking about the car?

They argue about who should have the car and they end up getting into a fist fight.

What happens after they start drinking beer?

They finish them and Henry gets up and starts dancing around like crazy, then gets hot and jumps in the water. Lyman goes in after him but didn't find him by the time the sun went down.

What happened to the red convertible?

Lyman put the car in the water with Henry after he had jumped in.