Essay

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Red is in jail for a murder he did commit. He's sorry he did it and he goes for parole hearings but he's been in jail so long he's been institutionalized. The world has changed so much since he was free that he doesn't know if he can function in the world if he is paroled. Red knows the jail system and how to survive in it. In jail he is an important person to the other inmates.

Andy is in jail for a murder he didn't commit. He isn't good at showing emotion which is partly why he was convicted. He is beaten and abused in jail by inmates higher on the pecking order. He longs for freedom because he misses the things that make him feel human (like music). He makes himself useful to the warden and guards by becoming their accountant and financial adviser so they protect him from abuse by other inmates. The arrangement works until the warden makes it clear that he is as much a criminal as the people in jail and kills someone that Andy cares about to prevent Andy from getting a new trial which could set him free. They've been using him to do their bookkeeping plus money laundering from using prisoners for cheap labour. Red is resigned to his life in jail and makes the best life he can for himself inside. He befriends Andy because he is a mystery and he comes to believe that Andy is innocent. He believes it will eventually destroy him.

Andy pretends he is resigned to life in prison because he is good at not showing emotion but he is determined to escape somehow and get some justice. He works diligently for close to 20 years and he never gives up hope. He eventually escapes and works out a plan that exposes that warden and guards for the criminals that they are.

Andy's refuse to give up hope affects Red and he is able to get parole after serving 40 years. Red eventually meets up with Andy in Mexico because Andy made him believe he could enjoy life and freedom again.

24/30