The car symbolizes freedom, innocence, and the bond of Henry and Lyman, the TV symbolizes distraction and being normal, revealing how Native American vets dealt with trauma from the Vietnam War from a young age and how it caused them to change the way they think and act. Lyman being the first one to drive his car on the reservation shows that convertibles are not common and can suggest that his reservations don’t have many luxuries. After Lyman explains that he and Henry own a red Olds together and how he was the first one to drive it in his reservation, he goes on, "We owned it together until his boots filled with water on a windy night and he bought out my share." Lyman and Henry owned the car together until Henry gave full ownership of the…show more content… The car is more than just a physical object to them, as it represents their collective memories and adventures before the war. The phrase “until his boots are filled with water” symbolizes the nature of PTSD and how much it affects Henry. It can suggest how Henry seems overwhelmed by his trauma and can represent a sense of helplessness for him. His death is portrayed as an unavoidable consequence of his internal struggles, demonstrating the devastating impact of war on soldiers. In Tom Holm’s article “PTSD in Native American Vietnam Veterans: A Reassessment”, Holm states, “Survivors of disasters suffer from a complex set of emotional reactions to the very fact of their survival. They experience survivor guilt, grief, and the stark memories of death, destruction and their own terror” (1). This means that surviving a disaster involves dealing with a complicated and often painful array of emotions and memories. Lyman pushing the car in the river represents his acceptance of the end of the bond he had with Henry. After Lyman pushes the car into the river after not being able to find Henry he goes on to say, "The wires short out. It is all finally
