"The Red Convertible" is a short story about the relationship between two Native American Indian brothers. It analyzes how their bond changes with the passage of time and is affected by both internal and external factors in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

The story is told from the point of view of Lyman Lamartine, a young man who is a Chippewa Indian living on a reservation in North Dakota in 1974. Lyman remembers that he was the first person to ever drive a convertible on the reservation. The convertible was red, and Lyman owned it jointly with his brother, Henry. At present, Henry still owns the car, and Lyman must walk everywhere he goes.

Lyman relates that he had always been good at making money and was able to buy his share of the car when he and Henry came upon it. Lyman had worked...