Sociological View of Shawshank Redemption
When a book industry addresses sociological concerns, it sometimes presents an incomplete and unfamiliar image. This is not to say that these industries, which deal with sociology, always misinterpret substantive matters, however, many do not present all the issues. In particular, books that deal with prisons often disregard the human factor housed within. To a certain extent, they may ignore specific factors because some would be uninterested in a book that offers the premise that convicts who spend their lives in prison loose their humanity and hope. The Shawshank Redemption is the exception. The story portrays a prison as an institution which does nothing more than store individuals. Similarly, several sociological themes are addressed in the book, such as, rehabilitation and reintegration. This work briefly analyzes the book, while focusing specifically on the substantive aspects in terms of sociology. The Shawshank Redemption opens in 1947, as banker Andy Durfresne is being wrongly convicted and punished with a double life sentence for the murder of his wife and her lover. He is incarcerated in Maine's Shawshank prison facility where his distant and slightly superior manner prevents good relations with the guards
and his fellow convicts. However, Andy gradually develops a friendship with a well-respected lifer named Ellis "Red" Redding, the prison's self-proclaimed "Sears and Roebuck" who is known " to locate certain items from time to time." He also gets on the better side of Shawshank's Bible-thumping warden by doing some financial consulting, but Andy is not merely a stooge for the warden and his goons. As a smart man, he is constantly working towards his ultimate goal of getting out of prison one way or another. His methods win him many friends and admirers in prison, but it is the friendship of "Red" that he values most. After thirty long years behind bars, Andy Durfresne makes use of his superior intelligence and creativity by escaping Shawshank with success. Soon after, "Red" is released on parole and the two finally meet on a beachfront in Mexico. Rehabilitation plays a vital role in the reintegration process. King's character, Andy said, "Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free." Although rehabilitation programs were not an option to Andy, treatment is a method that aids prisoners to restore the hope and desire needed to reenter society. There is a one major difference between Red and Brooks. The inmate who killed himself was unprepared to deal with life after prison because he was not provided with any skills, nor did he know anyone on the outside to assist and support him once released. On the other hand, Red survived because of his hope. His desire was finding his friend Andy, who had escaped in one of the most unique ways ever known in the history of Shawshank. The two sequences are inter-linked and demonstrate correctional policies that make prison a mere warehouse, which does nothing to curb the behavior that brought the prisoner into the facility from the beginning. In many scenarios, books sometime present unfinished and unusual sociological concerns that fail to bestow each issue. Stephen King's novel, The Shawshank Redemption, is an exception.
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Approximate Word count = 1353
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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