"Shawshank Redemption"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the relationship between Red and Andy in "The Shawshank Redemption" which is a drama about the experience of being in prison. "Red" is an inmate who has been in prison for thirty years and develops a relationship with the protagonist, Andy Dufresne, a New England banker who is wrongly convicted and given two life sentences for the murder of his wife and her lover. The paper shows how during his incarceration, Andy is assaulted, carves a chess set from stone, procures the funds and builds a prison library, assists other inmates achieve their high school equivalency diploma, launders money for the corrupt prison warden and after twenty years, escapes to Mexico and exposes the warden.

From the Paper:

"Andy's central conflict is his view of himself. "My wife used to say I'm a hard man to know - like a closed book. Complained about it all the time. She was beautiful. God, I loved her. I just didn't know how to show it, that's all. I killed her, Red. I didn't pull the trigger, but I drove her away. And that's why she died, because of me, the way I am." Andy becomes introspective and analyzes his own behavior in the past and finds it lacking. The history and culture in which Andy originates is that of education, success, and professional dedication. Twenty years of prison has had a profound effect on Andy. Prison where the culture is comprised of each man having to look out for himself and do whatever is necessary to survive, but the need is still there for help and support."

More papers on "Shawshank Redemption":

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• Essay # 54376 : "The Shawshank Redemption"
• Film Review # 22605 : "The Shawshank Redemption"
• Comparison Essay # 53409 : "Shawshank Redemption"

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