The car went sideways down the street, sliding end around end, tires squealing and spinning, trying to find an inkling of exposed concrete so they could reclaim their rubbery grip from the ice that had slathered itself over our small rural town. Hoping to end this impromptu winter carousel ride, dad maniacally spun the steering wheel like some possessed pirate spinning the helm of a galley; countering the direction in which the car was sliding. All the while, the string of vulgarities spewing from his whisker guarded mouth were my introduction to new, colorful vocabulary that I would proudly demonstrate to my friends on Monday, back at school during recess, if I survived. My dad must’v read my mind, “God damnit, Dale,” he snarled out of the corner of his mouth, “If we make it out of this, your ass is grounded until you’re dead.” Most kids would have recognized the direness of this type of threat and then realized that they wouldn’t actually be grounded until they were dead. But then again, most kids didn’t have a dad like mine. He was a real hardass, and the potential for me to be grounded until I was six-feet under was an actuality. He had volunteered for the army when he was 17. Grandpa signed his papers to allow him to enter the service a year earlier than army standards stated. He served in Korea for two years as a member of the infantry before being wounded. Dad killed countless “slant-eyes”, “gooks”, and “buck-toothed son-of-a-bitches”. Although he rarely talked
When I look at my dad, I can see accomplishment beaming from him. He grew up with my grandparents in South Texas, who were migrant workers. They didn’t supply the best of income, so my father grew up with the bare minimum and basic necessities, with 5 younger brothers and sisters. During high school, my father struggled a bit with grades and family issues. After graduating, he decided to join the military, since school was not his best interest and felt he had nowhere to go. He would explain to me how he would barley pass his classes with D 's, since D 's were considered passing at the time. For eight years, he served for our country in the Navy. Soon afterwards, he met my mother, began dating, and eventually got married within a year. Another year passed and that’s where I came in. Soon after my father with no job, after
“The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich is a short story about two Native American brothers, Lyman and Henry, and their growing bond as brothers. Symbolism is used rather heavily in this story. One of the main symbols of the story, as noted in the title, is the red convertible. The red convertible symbolizes the relationship status of the two brothers, and the struggles they face as Henry is drafted into the Vietnam War as well as when he returns home.
The book is named The Car by Gary Paulsen. I’m going to talk about three thing one is what I talked about last time and the second is what’s going on right now and the last is what has changed since last time.
My great grandfather served in world war 11. My grandfather served as a navy ship captain he was not fighting for our country at the time but still was there and ready too battle at in minutes notice. My great grandfather was just 17 when he went into service. He never signed up for the army he was just thrown into was right out of high-school. My great grandfather's name was Robert Nicols my grandfather's name was Boyd Teeter. My grandfather Boyd signed up for the army and got lucky enough to not half to actually fight.
Nobody has all the answers to death, not even the person who died. In the case of "The Red Convertible", written by Louise Erdich, Henry died of apparent suicide. However, Henry's death could have been an accident. In short, the story took place on an Indian Reservation during the Vietnam War. There are two teenage brothers, Henry and Lyman, who purchase a car together. At the beginning of the story, the two brothers were inseparable. They both were good at making money, so they made an impulse buy of a red convertible. One day, Henry and Lyman went for a cruise and come across a hitchhiker on the side of the road. They pull over, the hitchhiker introduced herself as Susy, and the two brothers drove her home to Alaska. Susy's parents invited the brothers in, and they lived in a tent at Susy's house until the seasons turned. Henry and Lyman were young, dumb, and free. After they returned home, Henry got drafted to Vietnam. Lyman decided to fix the car in quintessential condition for Henry when returned. However, Henry was gone at war for three years. He suffered from PTSD upon his return. He never looked at the car, the colored TV set him off, and he had bipolar emotions. Lyman decided to manually demolish the car in order to give Henry something to care for. Henry finally acknowledged the car and worked day and night to repair it. His mood steadily improved. Their younger sister, Bonita, took a picture of the two by the fixed-up car. A few months after the picture, Henry and Lyman traveled to the riverside. The season was changing from winter to spring at that point. They sat by the riverside enjoying the scenery and chewed the fat. Henry revealed that he wants Lyman to take full ownership of the car, but Lyman doesn't want to. They brawl and laugh it off. Henry appeared to be his old joking self. He even runs into the river as a joke, but the current ultimately takes him away. He candidly states that his boots are filling, and that is the last statement heard by Henry. While most readers view Henry's death as suicide caused from PTSD, his death was actually accidental.
about the role of family and the significance of independence in a mature adult’s life.
For my veteran essay, I decided to interview my grandpa, Joe (my mom’s dad). When he served, he served in the army as a chef for two years. His rank was specialist, 5th class. In 1965, Joe came home from work and saw his girlfriend (my grandma) and his mom looking at a letter, crying. She gave him the letter and he felt a bus token. When you were drafted, they would give you a bus token to get to the army. He was stationed in Fort Gordon in Georgia. He stayed in the U.S because his father died when he was eight years old and he had to support his mother and my grandma.
It is inevitable that people will eventually encounter a hurdle that will challenge them either physically or mentally. Although self-doubt is always part of the equation, the individual always has the option to overcome the obstacle or let the barrier determine their destiny. In the short story “The Red Convertible” written by Louise Erdrich and the play “The Cuban Swimmer” written by Milcha Sanchez-Scott readers get the insight of the struggle two characters face as they find themselves in a difficult time in their lives. Through the events that occur, family support, and symbols readers can find similarities and differences while at the same time finding clues that certify that these two pieces of writing are about struggle.
My papa was drafted into the Army while living in Wauseon Ohio. He joined because it was his obligation and his parents felt it was his job to serve his country. He recalls his first days of service as being homesick and was worrying that he wasn't going to return home. In May of 1968 he attended Army boot camp in Fort Gordon, Georgia. He remembers that one of the instructors he had was very strict and would yell at him if he did not stand at attention. He went
Louise Erdrich's short story, "The Red Convertible," follows two Native American brothers and their evolving relationship over time as well as their adventures in their red Olds. The two brothers, Lyman and Henry, became much closer with the continuous use of the car. The car stays with the brothers, even during the absence of one of the brothers. The author uses the car as a representation of the brother's uncertain relationship.
Before my grandparents even ended up getting married my grandfather had signed up to fight in the Vietnam War. They didn’t honestly expect to even get married until they realized they couldn’t be without each other. My grandmother had known about him going into the war and decided to wait for him to get back, but before he left they had to get married and he couldn’t withdraw his application to the army in that point of time. One thing my grandfather didn’t expect is for my grandmother to get pregnant in which just so happened to be my mother. He ended up piloting and fighting in the war for
It was a cold December night shortly after dusk, a likely setting for an event that would prove to be life altering. As fate would have it, this would be the night that I lost the material possession that truly meant the most to me. I would lose the one thing that gave me much pride and joy and excitement. I often think back and liken us to a newlywed couple, for we had only been together for 18 months and were still very much honeymooning. It was a night, a moment, that even now scoffs and mocks me as I travel thither and yonder with her replacement. But she can never be truly replaced and to call my current fix a replacement seems like a sort of blasphemy.
The automobile has had a tremendous impact on society and the environment since its development in the beginning of the 20th century. Today, there are over 500 million motor vehicles on the earth. The automobile's efficiency, style, and performance have changed over the years, but there is one thing that has not - the pollution the automobile generates. Because of the pollution, people find themselves asking whether this technology has helped our society or hurt it. Should the consequences of the automobile be cause to eliminate it? Or should science develop technology to eliminate the pollution caused by the car?
Since I was a child, I have always dreamed I could have a car which belongs to me. I still remembered when I was four years old, my parents gave me a remote control car as my birthday gift. After that day I started to fall in love with cars.
I could feel the cold brisk air brushing up against my skin as I ventured through the darkness in this vacant parking lot on a dreary Sunday night in November. I could see a car in the distance and began to approach it. The car appeared to be an old rusted out vehicle with extremely tinted windows that were dark like death. As I looked inside the vehicle I noticed that the car was as clean as a crystal. Not a speck of dust could be found on the interior and the floor mats were completely spotless. It was as if the vehicle had never been driven before. I then put my hand on the door and proceeded to step inside of the vehicle. As I did so I felt a sensation through my whole body that made me tingle. It was an unwelcoming sensation as if I was entering a whole new world. As I sat down there's was a smell, a sheer clean smell similar to that of a fresh load of laundry. Goosebumps came about all over my body as adrenaline rushed through my veins. I put my hands on the steering wheel and my mind took me into another dimension. Taking a glance in the rearview mirror I could see a mysterious person approaching the vehicle. As I examined the person I came to the conclusion that this must be the owner of the vehicle. I noticed they were dressed in all black and carrying what seemed to be a grocery bag of some sort. In panic, I got out of the car and looked at what appeared to be a male figure. The man was very masculine and tall. His mere presence was enough to strike fear into