A member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Erdrich considers herself a storyteller first and a writer second. Love of storytelling, which grew out of tribal oral tradition, is a primary means of keeping Native American cultural values alive within the community. The first-person narrative technique Erdrich employs in “The Red Convertible” reflects her affinity for storytelling. She has often said that she “hears” her characters talking before writing dialogue. Lyman speaks in his own voice, which lends an immediacy and poignancy to the narrative. The first-person narration also allows Erdrich to convey the speech patterns of modern Native Americans and to portray the hardships of reservation life realistically.

In addition to Lyman’s first-person account, the fact that the story is told from his point of view is also a significant element of the narrative structure. Throughout most of the work, Lyman uses past tense when he recounts events and when he quotes himself, Susy, his mother, and Bonita. However when he quotes Henry, he always uses present tense, even if the action takes place in the past. Present tense is also used exclusively from the time the brothers arrive at the Red River to the end of the story. For Lyman, Henry does not exist in the past. Instead, Lyman’s loss of his brother is always fresh, like a wound that will not heal.

Finally, the red convertible itself serves as a narrative device to illustrate Henry’s changing mental state throughout the work. When Lyman and Henry first purchase the automobile, Lyman describes the car as “reposed” and “calm,” which reflects Henry’s personality at the beginning of the story. Later, after Lyman damages the car, Henry seems to recognize that the dented convertible is a physical reflection of his wounded psyche. In repairing the automobile, Henry is attempting to heal himself. When he fails to achieve the same state of wholeness as the car, he realizes that it is “no use,” and tries to give the convertible to Lyman. Lyman, who realizes that the car mirror Henry’s struggles, transfers complete ownership to Henry by sending it into the river after his brother drowns.

American Involvement in the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War spanned from 1959 to 1975, with North Vietnamese forces and the National Liberation Front clashing against South Vietnamese troops and the United States military. The United States' involvement was driven by the belief that if Vietnam fell to communism, it would rapidly spread across Southeast Asia. In 1965, the first American soldiers were deployed to South Vietnam to support the government. Despite the war's growing unpopularity at home, more troops were continuously sent to Vietnam over the ensuing years. The 1960s in America saw a surge of demonstrations, sit-ins, and anti-war songs.

In 1968, Richard Nixon won the presidential election against Lyndon B. Johnson, vowing to achieve "peace with honor." Although he struggled to make headway in peace negotiations, he secured re-election in 1972. By January 1973, all parties involved in the Vietnam War had signed the Treaty of Paris. The treaty's terms included the withdrawal of American soldiers from South Vietnam by the end of March and a cease-fire.

The casualties were staggering: three to four million Vietnamese perished, nearly two million Laotians and Cambodians died after their countries were pulled into the conflict, and over fifty-eight thousand Americans lost their lives. The war cost the United States over $130 billion. Despite the treaty's conditions, fighting continued in Vietnam, and by 1975, the country was unified under communist rule.

Chippewa Tribe
The Chippewa initially inhabited a vast region extending from present-day Ontario and Quebec to Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Their territory eventually grew to include Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the Dakotas. With the arrival of European explorers and settlers, the Chippewa established fur-trading relationships. This trade led many Chippewas to migrate to the prairies, where they gradually adopted a different way of life from their woodland ancestors. In Erdrich's "Love Medicine," the Chippewa reservation is located in North Dakota, making her characters descendants of the original tribe.

The Chippewa on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota were among the few Native American groups to request that the government establish a reservation for them. By 1960, nearly seven thousand Chippewas resided there. Twenty years later, that number had decreased to about four thousand.

Life on Native American reservations has traditionally been challenging. The land designated for reservations is often unsuitable for productive farming, unemployment rates are high, education is lacking, and issues such as disease and alcoholism are prevalent. Additionally, intergenerational communication is hindered by the Americanized education that young people receive. Nonetheless, progress made since the 1980s has led to improvements in these conditions.

First-Person Narrator
"The Red Convertible" is narrated entirely from Lyman's perspective. He shares his experiences with his brother, conveying the deep love and admiration he had for him, as well as the sorrow he felt when he couldn't help him in the end. Lyman's voice appears honest and dependable, and he is unafraid to show his sensitive and emotional side. He vividly recalls his feelings during each event he narrates and openly expresses these emotions to the reader. For instance, he remembers the thrill of first seeing the red convertible: "The first time we saw it! ... There it was, parked, large as life. Really as if it was alive." He also reminisces about a moment of total relaxation during a road trip with Henry: "I remember I laid under those trees and it was comfortable. So comfortable. The branches bent down all around me like a tent or a stable. And quiet, it was quiet." Lyman further recalls the optimism he felt when he and Henry took the car for a drive after Henry repaired it. It was spring after a long winter, and Lyman notes, "When everything starts changing, drying up, clearing off, you feel like your whole life is starting."

The only moment Lyman withholds from the reader is the one where he loses his brother. He mentions seeing his brother in the river and attempting to save him but does not share his feelings about it. He describes driving the car into the river after his brother but refrains from expressing how it felt. This sudden reticence adds realism to Lyman's character. As a first-person narrator, he retains the right to decide what to disclose and what to keep private. His usual openness throughout the story makes this emotional silence even more poignant, indicating that the pain is too intense to articulate.

Symbolism
Erdrich employs various symbols in "The Red Convertible" to convey deeper meanings and complex ideas. The story's title highlights the primary symbol—the car. The car is a multifaceted symbol whose significance evolves as the narrative unfolds. It represents the bond between Lyman and Henry. They purchase it together on a whim and embark on a summer-long road trip. Henry attempts to give Lyman full ownership of the car twice, but Lyman refuses because the car symbolizes their connection. Ultimately, the car becomes the vehicle that takes the brothers to the site of their tragic final encounter. After Henry's death, Lyman realizes he has lost both his innocence and his connection to his brother, rendering the car meaningless to him.

Erdrich incorporates symbolism throughout the story in various ways. Susy, for instance, has exceptionally long hair that she keeps in buns. Lyman and Henry are unaware of how remarkable her hair is until she lets it down. Susy's hair represents the qualities people possess that are visible but not always as they appear. This symbolism becomes significant later when Henry returns from the war. Though he is clearly troubled, no one understands him because he hides his true self. The television Lyman purchases for the family symbolizes the intrusion of global events into their otherwise serene life on the reservation. Erdrich also uses the changing seasons to reflect the characters' inner experiences. The brothers embark on a carefree road trip that spans the entire summer. As summer ends, so do their innocent, joyful times. Henry remains withdrawn while repairing the car during winter, but with the arrival of spring, he seems temporarily rejuvenated.

Toward the story's conclusion, Lyman and Henry toss their beer cans into the river, observing how far they float before filling with water and sinking. The river represents the challenges everyone faces in life, particularly Henry. The narrative illustrates how much he could endure before being overwhelmed. This imagery serves both as symbolism and foreshadowing, hinting at Henry's eventual drowning.

1984: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is completed. Initially dedicated in 1982, the wall lists the names of over fifty-eight thousand Americans who either died or went missing during the war. A bronze statue depicting three soldiers—one white, one African American, and one Hispanic—was added in 1983.

Today: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial draws thousands of visitors and veterans each year. It has become a place for meditation and solemn reflection.

1984: Organizations like the American Indian Movement and the National Congress of American Indians strive to enhance economic conditions on reservations. By the late 1960s, unemployment on reservations had soared to 80 percent, but new programs have since helped more tribal members find employment. Gaming activities, such as bingo and casinos, have become the primary industry on many reservations.

Today: Unemployment on reservations remains high at 46 percent, with a poverty rate of 30 percent, the highest in the nation. Despite perceptions of wealth due to gaming revenues, only 184 of the 557 federally recognized tribes operate gaming businesses, many of which are small-scale operations.

1984: Vietnam War veterans continue to grapple with their experiences eleven years after the conflict ended. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) vary from mild depression and sleep disturbances to severe chronic depression and difficulties in maintaining employment and relationships. Increased public awareness about PTSD has enabled veterans to access more support.

Today: Numerous veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War still contend with Gulf War Syndrome. Symptoms include abdominal pain, insomnia, memory loss, blurred vision, and aching joints. In 1997, the government acknowledged that a toxic gas used during the conflict may have spread more widely than initially thought, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of American troops.

Sources
Barry, Nora, and Mary Prescott, "The Triumph of the Brave: Love Medicine's Holistic Vision,’’ in Critique, Vol. 30, No. 2, Winter 1989, pp. 123-38.

Beidler, Peter G., ‘‘Erdrich, (Karen) Louise,’’ in Reference Guide to American Literature, St. James Press, 1994.

Flavin, Louise, ‘‘Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine: Loving over Time and Distance,'' in Critique, Vol. 31, No. 1, Fall 1989, pp. 55-64.

Jeffrey, David Lyle, ed., A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1992.

Moss, Joyce, and George Wilson, eds., ‘‘Louise Erdrich: Love Medicine,'' in Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events That Influenced Them, Vol. 5, Gale Research, 1997.

‘‘Louise Erdrich's Tracks," in PMLA, Vol. 109, No. 5, October 1994, pp. 982-94.

Rheault, D'Arcy, The Circle of Life: Thoughts on Contemporary Native Life, York University, 1995, pp. 1-6.

Rubenstein, Roberta, "Louise Erdrich Revisits the Complex World of the Chippewa,’’ in Chicago Tribune Books, November 14, 1993, pp. 3, 11.

Ruppert, James, ‘‘Mediation and Multiple Narrative,’’ in North Dakota Quarterly, Vol. 59, No. 4, Fall 1991, pp. 229-41.

Windling, Terry, ‘‘Sacred Springs and Other Water Lore,’’ in Realms of Fantasy, 1997, and at http://www.endicott-studio.com/forwatr.html (July 3, 2001).

Further Reading
Brende, Joel Osler, and E. R. Parson, Vietnam Veterans: The Road to Recovery, Perseus Publishing, 1985.
Brende and Parson blend research and personal stories to present a comprehensive overview of post-traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans. This book is written to be more accessible than other works on the topic, which often use more technical language.

Chavkin, Allan Richard, ed., The Chippewa Landscape of Louise Erdrich, University of Alabama Press, 1999.
This collection features essays examining the importance of Erdrich's Chippewa heritage in her fiction. Subjects include Erdrich's development of Love Medicine and her role as a storyteller.

Coltelli, Laura, ed., Winged Words: American Indian Writers Speak, University of Nebraska Press, 1990.
Coltelli presents interviews with a diverse group of writers who have Native American ancestry. The book includes a twelve-page chapter on Erdrich and her husband.

Nelson, Elizabeth Hoffman, and Malcolm A. Nelson, eds., Telling the Stories: Essays on American Indian Literatures and Cultures, Peter Lang Publishing, 2001.
Nelson and Nelson compile thirteen chapters that explore Native American identity and the crucial role literature plays in preserving and communicating it. Some chapters share personal experiences, while others evaluate the works of prominent Native American authors, including Erdrich.