Welcome to Wednesday, September 5th! Do-Now: Pick up a story off the Chromebook cart! We’re gonna read today!

Louise Erdrich Louise Erdrich is the author of 13 novels as well as volumes of poetry, short stories, and children’s books. Her novel “Love Medicine” (1984) won the National Book Critics Circle Award and “The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse” (2001) was a finalist for the National Book Award. Most recently, “The Plague of Doves” (2008) won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Erdrich is descended from a father of German descent and a mother of the Turtle Mountain Chippewas, a Native American tribe in North Dakota. Her maternal grandfather was a tribal chief, and she is currently restoring her ancestral homeland for her tribe members.

“The Red Convertible” (Pre-Reading Question) 1. From the title, make a prediction about what the story might be about. What do we associate with red convertibles? What could it possibly represent/symbolize in the story? Explain your thinking.

“The Red Convertible” (Pre-War) 2. Describe what we know about Lyman’s character before the war. What makes him different from the others on his reservation? From his brother? 3. In paragraph 6 on page 3, the narrator claims that the military only wants his brother for his “Indian nose.” What do you think he means by that?

“The Red Convertible” (During the War) 4. What details do we know about what Henry experienced during the war? Predict: how do you think these experiences will change him? 5. Why do you think Erdrich kept the details of his experience so sparse?

“The Red Convertible” After you’ve finished your questions, do either: IXL A.3 and A.4 under 11th Grade ELA skills. You want to get to 80 smartpoints. * Make sure your questions get into the bin!

Welcome to Wednesday, September 5th! Do-Now: Grab your story off the Chromebook cart.

“The Red Convertible” Recap! What do we know about Lyman? What is the relationship like between the narrator and his brother? What kinds of things do they do together? What was Henry like before the war?

“The Red Convertible” (After the War) 6. In the 2nd paragraph on page 7, the narrator describes the river as “at its limit, hard and swollen, glossy like an old gray scar.” What might be a possible symbolic meaning for the river? 7. Why do you think Henry went into the river? Was his intention to kill himself, or did he have another goal? 8. What do you think the red convertible represented to Lyman? To Henry? Why did Henry want to give his brother the car, and why did Lyman say he didn’t want it? Remember to consider the symbolic meaning of the car.

9. For the rest of the day, it’s your job to write a mini-essay (2-3 paragraphs) about what you think the theme of “The Red Convertible” is. What is the author trying to say or show us through her story? For full points, you will need: A clear thesis statement about what the theme is. Hint: try to use one of the common Native American themes/topics from your notes! At least three specific examples from the story that support your proposed theme. These examples could be direct quotes, paraphrases, summaries, or just very specific examples. Remember to not just list your three reasons, but explain/give commentary about each example and why they prove your argued theme. Theme Essay!