The Native American Culture In The Red Convertible Essays

The Native American Culture In The Red Convertible The Native American Culture in The Red Convertible In the short story The Red Convertible, by Louise Erdrich, the author, contrasts the old way of life versus the new. Erdrich does this through metaphorical symbols: the color red, convertible, summer trip, and the fancy dance Henry performs before his death (Erdrich p. 468). In the story, the color red symbolizes many things. The convertible is red. Lyman also said his brother, had a nose big and sharp as a hatchet, like the nose on Red Tomahawk (Erdrich p. 467). Also when the brothers took their final journey Lyman says, We started off east, toward Pembina and the Red River (Erdrich p. 467). The color red, in this story, represents Henry's will to be free. The convertible appears in a bright red because, while driving the car, Henry feels trapped by the white man's war (Erdrich p. 467). By returning to the Red River Henry regains his spiritual freedom. According to The American Heritage book of Indians, the Red Sticks were and anti-American faction that fought to keep the white man out, and their heritage strong (p. 221). With this information, the Red Sticks, and the color red, represented in the story can be linked in their feelings with anti-Americanism (The American Heritage book of Indians p. 221). Lyman says, He said he wanted to give the car to me for good now, it was no use (Erdrich p. 468). By Henry giving Lyman the red convertible, he is foreshadowing his death. In the Chippawa culture gifts are given to the family of the deceased (The Chippawas of Lake Superior p. 16). A remnant of the deceased was kept, wrapped in birch bark, this spirit bundle was then kept for a year and later given to the family (The Chippawas of Lake Superior p. 16). Lyman knows that Henry is preparing him for Henry's death by giving him the car. Lyman states, No way. I don't want it, referring to the car (Erdrich p. 468). Lyman refuses this gift because he does not want Henry to die. The red convertible also represents a curative charm (The Chippawas of Lake Superior p. 19). In the Chippawa culture, a charm was given to the injured or diseased. This charm was used in many ways to: stimulate love, attract wealth, insure a successful journey, and to counteract evil (The Chippawas of Lake Superior p. 1 9). The charm consisted of an artifact that represented the individual or a figurine (The Chippawas of Lake Superior p. 19). The car was Henry's charm form Lyman. Lyman states, I thought the car might bring the old Henry back somehow (Erdrich p. 466). Lyman could see Henry was sick, so by reconnection Henry with the car, he thought the Henry would get better. To understand why the brothers took tow trips, one to Alaska, and the other at the end of the story, the Nomadic lifestyle of the Chippawas must be examined. The Chippawas led a seminomadic life, dependent upon the seasons (The Chippawas of Lake Superior p. 10). At the beginning of the story, Henry and Lyman venture off for the summer. The brothers end up in Alaska, which symbolizes their search for new hunting ground (The Chippawas of Lake Superior p. 11). The final journey, that the boys embark on, represents Henry's return to nature. Lyman identifies Henry's feeling by stating, When everything starts changing, drying up, clearing off, you feel like your whole life is starting. Henry felt it too (Erdrich p. 467). When Henry and Lyman reach their final destination, something comes over Henry. Lyman identifies this change when he states, I think it's the old Henry (Erdrich p. 468). However, Lyman doesn't understand Henry's next move when he says, He throws off his jacket and starts springing his legs up form the knees like a fancy dancer...He's wild (Erdrich p. 468). To understand Henry's fancy dancing, the reader must be aware of the cultural ties the Chippawa have to dancing. The origin of the Chippawa dancing drum is told through an old legend (The Ojibwa Dance Drum p. 44). The legend begins with an old Indian woman, who lost her four sons

Metallica essays

Metallica essays Metallica has not always been the talented group of rock musicians that they are today. It took many years and many albums to bring the band to its current standing as the kings of rock. Metallica has undergone changes in its lineup and its musical writing style. Comparing and contrasting the musical and lyrical content of each Metallica album shows exactly how much they have changed from the early 1980s to 2000. Metallica was founded in the early 1980s when a young man from Denmark named Lars Ulrich was looking to start a band in the Los Angeles area. The musical style labeled The New Wave of British Heavy Metal captivated Lars. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal started in England in late 70s and was a product of some peoples distaste for the current punk rock scene (Crocker 11-12). Lars, who had recently moved to the United States, started searching excessively for someone to jam with. He came across the name of a local heavy metal guitarist and vocalist in a local newspaper called The Recycler. This man was named James Hetfield. The two quickly became friends and began to play their favorite heavy metal music together on a regular basis (Hadland, Encyclopedia Metallica). The story behind the name Metallica is very interesting. A friend of Lars was starting a heavy metal fanzine and asked Lars for advice on what its title should be. The friend gave Lars a list of candidate names and the word Metallica was on the list. Lars liked it so much he told his friend to choose another name and kept Metallica for himself (Crocker 25-26). In 1983, the bands lineup came to consist of James on vocals and rhythm guitar, Lars on percussion, Cliff Burton on bass guitar, and Kirk Hammett on lead guitar. However, in 1986, while the band was several albums into their career, Cliff Burton was tragically killed in a bus accident while the band was on tour in Sweden. Jason Newsted of the band ...