The Shawshank Redemption is an inspiring story about Andy Dufreine and his efforts to maintain hope in horrible situations. The directors used many effective methods that displayed signs of hope in such a horrible place. Andy maintained hope by distracting his mind and always staying occupied. Andy was also inspired to survive by helping others find hope in life.

The creators of this movie used several effective, and often subtle, methods to illustrate the hope found in Andy and his surroundings. Andy was always portrayed as a clean-cut and well-groomed prisoner with his shirt always buttoned and his hair always combed. This self-respect was in great contrast to the other prisoners who were portrayed as dirty, stereotypical prisoners. The common prisoners also had vocabularies and grammar that were far inferior to Andy's. The distinctions between Andy and the common prisoners showed that Andy was different, those differences were that he had hope.

Many scenes involved ironic contrasts between the tone and the surroundings. On several occasions the background music was cheerful and upbeat while the physical settings and scenery were terribly dark, dreary and depr

Dufreine encouraged his fellow inmates to sustain their hope in an attempt to help him to protect his own hope. Andy put himself into risky positions to benefit his group of friends. When Andy got the head guard to bring his friends beers while working on the roof he was faced with a threat of injury or even death. Andy felt it was well worth the risk to be able to see his fellow "co-workers" smile and relax. Red said that it was a wonderful thing "just to feel normal again, if only for a short while." The guards laughed at the use of the term "co-workers" by Andy, but it is an excellent example of Andy's subliminal thoughts of hope and his optimistic view of the awful circumstances he was in. Andy also suffered consequences for his pursuit of hope when he played the music over the speakers. His actions not only made him feel good but also allowed the other men to "feel normal again." Andy helped several prisoners gain their high school diplomas while in prison. This not only allowed Andy to feel great about himself and what he was accomplishing but it also permitted the men he was helping to have hope for a better life when they get out.

Andy was assigned to the library, which built up to the largest events in his pursuit of hope

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Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)