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Elijah Grady
LaSalle
ENC 1102
2/3/2026
The Bloodstained Crimson Vehicle
In the short story “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich, there are prominent example
of Pathos, Logos, and Ethos used throughout the story. The writer uses Logos in exclaiming how
Lyman wrecked Henry’s car on purpose to bring out a small part of his old self. Pathos is also
used in showing Henry’s change after the war, and this exemplifies the emotion both Henry and
Lyman are feeling as a reaction to such a change. The author also uses Ethos during the finale
where the car itself is driven into the river by Lyman.
The protagonist Lyman intentionally beat up Henry’s car in order to make him want to fix
it. Henry had just returned from the Vietnam War. He was scarred by his time at war, and the
events that he was forced to partake in made him distant. He was always on edge and unable to
rest. He almost never talked after his return. His family did not want to send him to any of the
doctors on the reservation, as they were notorious for just giving the patients drugs and ignoring
all else. So, Lyman had an idea. He battered the old red car that was in pristine condition
attempting to garner his brother’s attention. In “The Red Convertible” the protagonist states,
“Then I thought about the car. Henry had not even looked at the car since he’d gotten home,
though like I said, it was in tip-top condition and ready to drive. I thought the car might bring the
old Henry back somehow. So I bided my time and waited for my chance to interest him in the
vehicle. One night Henry was off somewhere. I took myself a hammer. I went out to that car and
I did a number on its underside. Whacked it up.” (Kirszner and Mandell 434) This clearly shows
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the logical inference the protagonist made. He inferred that if he were to destroy the car he would
get his brother’s attention and finally bring a bit of his old self back. This directly demonstrates
the rhetorical strategy Logos through logical inference. Cause and effect is used in this instance.
The protagonist Lyman directly views his brother once he is back from the war. He sees
the scarring he’d gone through. Before the war, Henry was in a much better emotional state. It is
very clear that he is suffering from some form of PTSD, as he is always on guard as well as
extremely irritable and easily startled. These are common symptoms of PTSD. (Post-traumatic)
The war is an example of a societal antagonist. He wasn’t as horrified before the war. He is
clearly shown to have these symptoms directly after Vietnam. He was distant, angry, and would
jump at practically anything. The man he once was is lost to time. Lyman can’t help but
reminisce over the old times they shared. The protagonist states, “When he came home, though,
Henry was very different, and I’ll say this: the change was no good. You could hardly expect him
to change for the better, I know. But he was quiet, so quiet, and never comfortable sitting still
anywhere but always up and moving around. I thought back to times we’d sat still for whole
afternoons, never moving a muscle, just shifting our weight along the ground, talking to whoever
sat with us, watching things. He’d always had a joke, then, too, and now you couldn’t get him to
laugh, or when he did it was more the sound of a man choking, a sound that stopped up the
throats of other people around him.” (Kirszner and Mandell 434) This shows the reminiscence
and woeful remembrance Lyman has of his brother. It is clear that Lyman is deeply saddened by
his brother’s change. He remembers the times he spent with his brother and the red convertible,
and then he compares it to the brother in front of him now. This is a crucial event to the plot, and
it is usage of the rhetorical method Pathos. There is no question that both Lyman and Henry are
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going through two different yet uniquely connected emotional turmoil. Henry is bitter and silent.
Lyman is saddened and almost grieving the loss of the man he once knew.
Near the end of the story, both the protagonist and his brother go on one final ride in the
convertible. Henry nearly seems to be his old self again. However, once they approach the river
the current takes Henry. Lyman is watching this all from the sideline. Henry’s boots filled with
water, which caused him to ultimately drown and die. He attempts to follow him, but he
ultimately does not. He then makes a decision based on respect for his brother. In “The Red
Convertible the protagonist states, “By the time I get out of the river, off the snag I pulled myself
onto, the sun is down. I walk back to the car, turn on the high beams, and drive it up to the bank.
I put it in first gear then I take my foot off the clutch. I get out, close the door, and watch it plow
softly into the water. The headlights reach in as they go down, searching, still lighted even after
the water swirls over the back end. I wait. The wires short out.” (Kirszner and Mandell 437)
Lyman makes the decision to bury the vehicle with his brother. This is an example of the
rhetorical method Ethos in its own way. He is returning the vehicle to what he believes is its
rightful owner. He does this not only for this methodology, but he also does it out of respect for
his now deceased brother. He does this primarily as an ethical decision for himself and his
brother.
The two brothers go through much in the story “The Red Convertible”, and they come to
a saddening conclusion. The death of Henry leaves the protagonist Lyman alone. In this tragedy,
rhetorical devices are used to emphasize what the characters go through as well as their decision
making. The purposeful and logical destruction of the vehicle creates the plot device for the story
to continue. The emotions that the two brothers feel push the story along to its untimely ending.
The ethical decision Lyman faces at the end of the story in order to send his brother off with
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respect.. All of these devices show the reader what the author is trying to convey in this story to
great effect. The red convertible which represents the bond and youthful innocence they shared is
bloodstained and destroyed through the antagonist of war.
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Works Cited
Kirszner, Lauren G., and Stephen R. Mandell. PORTABLE Literature: Reading, Reacting,
Writing. 10thth ed., Cengage Learning, 2023, pp. 431-37.
"Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)." Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic, 16 Aug. 2024,
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptomscauses/syc-20355967. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.