The Shawshank Redemption

A detailed Summary of The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption Essay Alex Hodgetts

The Shawshank Redemption examines a series of oppositions: guilt and innocence, brutality and charity, freedom and imprisonment to finally show how Andy is able to save not only himself but Red too. Discuss.

The Shawshank Redemption, directed by Frank Darabont, is a film in which conflicts and oppositions of many kinds play a major role. The film's main character, Andy Dufresne, was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife, and thrust into a harsh maximum security prison, whose shocking brutality and harsh conditions are more than enough to see any man broken a dozen times. However, even in such dire circumstances, he is able to maintain his pride, humanity and hope, in order to survive. He is not only able to keep them going within himself, but he also helps others to do the same, inspiring people like Tommy to do their High School Equivalency exams, and generally do things to improve themselves for when they get 'out'. He probable inspires one person the most, Ellis 'Red' Redding, who is is greatest friend on the 'inside', and they both break free of their physical, and psychological imprisonment, and find true freedom.

Last but not least, there is the opposition of freedom and imprisonment, both physically and mentally. When Andy is put away for two life sentences, it seems that he has no hope of ever being a free man again, apart from the small part of him that knows he is innocent, but he refuses to accept the situation. Red said that Andy seemed "..as though he had a coat on that could protect him from this place." and Andy certainly doesn't seem to let things get the better of him. In the 19 years that Andy was imprisoned in Shawshank, his mind was still free, with his rock sculptures, and his audacious playing of Mozart over the Prison PA system. He was then imprisoned in the 'hole' for two months of solitary confinement, but he says to his friends that it was the easiest time he has done yet, and when asked why, he explained that he had "...Mr. Mozart for company." This is clear evidence to suggest that his mind was still free of imprisonment. It is the way that Andy's mind is still free that eventually gets him to triumph over the adversity of Shawshank, while most prisoners accept that they are there for good, Andy sets about proceeding with a daring make or break escape plan, that eventually succeeds. However, not all of Andy's friends were so lucky. After decades of imprisonment, Brooks is released into a different world than it was when he was sent away, and he had come to depend on the place which he calls 'home'. He was so institutionalised that he simply could not cope in the outside world, and he killed himself. But Red was not ready to give in so easily, and his writing of so was Red, next to Brooks was here before leaving the half-way house indicates that he has made the choice to escape his previous life, and get on with his new one in freedom.

Guilt versus innocence is a theme that is central to The Shawshank Redemption, and the way that the judicial sytem deals with those found 'guilty' is seen throughout the movie. Andy Du Fresne is probably one of the only truely innocent people within the prisons walls, but his pleas to the warden, and to the courts, for an appeal, are ignored until Tommy arrives in the priso

Some common words found in the essay are:
Prison PA, Hayworth Andy, School Equivalency, Shawshank Prison, Yes I'm, Andy Dufresne, Shawshank Redemption, Red Andy, Byron Hadley, Tommy Wardens, shawshank redemption, criminal behaviour, red andy, mind free, corruption criminal behaviour, tommy brooks, freedom imprisonment, corruption criminal, byron hadley, shawshank prison, captain guards,

Approximate Word count = 1438
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Movies