Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

Stephen King’s novella and movie “Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption” accompanies an immaculate middle-aged man and his journey to live life to the fullest –with his calm nature and lucrative knowledge he attempts to become an adrenaline seeker while also trying to escape from the harsh reality. This was Andy’s way of releasing pressure just like how a pressure cooker as stated in the book needs to relieve itself before it explodes. His hardships in life have created so much tension that Andy would go to such drastic lengths in finding a way to escape his mundane, nine to five job as a banker. In addition, the stress that Andy built up would most likely be from his journey towards the position of vice-president and all the responsibilities that come with it. The breaking point was when he discovered that his wife Linda was having an affair with Glenn Quentin, a pro golf player, sending him to find a way to be liberated from this tragedy. After being found guilty by the court, Andy will be sent to the Shawshank prison where his true talents will emerge. Although the prison allows many things to pass under their nose, the incessant berating and threat the guards pose on the prisoners will eventually wear them out like how rocks turn into sand due to erosion; moreover, rocks were formed due to pressure from the Earth creating layers of dirt on top of each other until the bits and pieces of Earth form hard rock. Andy is the only one who can supply this change, throughout

Red is very reluctant to accept hope, even stating in the film ‘Hope is a dangerous thing; hope can drive a man insane’ and this is expressed through shadows cast on him whilst Andy is shown in the light. This idea of hopelessness exaggerates the redemption of hope expressed later on in the film, an example of this is right at the very start of the film when the man is beaten so badly by the prison guards that he dies, Andy’s asks a key question that nobody can answer; ‘What was his name?’. This hopelessness is then contrasted when the friendships are formed later on in the film, when everybody becomes close, which is confirmed when Andy bargains with the guards and consequently wins three bottles of beer for each of his work mates. Andy’s friends and he are regularly shown laughing together or helping one another to cope, Darabont successfully reflects hope into the eyes of the viewer through these friendships. Gestures such as the harmonica illuminate this point when Red begins to create music.

The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King is both a wonderful film and a brilliantly written short story. There are many themes represented in each form of The Shawshank Redemption. The one major theme that interests me in both the film and the story is freedom. Freedom serves a large purpose for both the story's writer and the filmmaker. Both use similar examples to signify freedom, not only in the jail, but also in a larger context about life. There are many events and examples in both the film and the short story that signifies the theme of freedom. The one main difference is when the film uses the director’s technique to portray a feel of freedom for the inmates. The overall three issues used in this essay are all linked to the

There is a staggering amount of corruption in the prison system that is caused by pressure on the inmates as well as the employees in Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King. The aforementioned corruption contributes greatly to many of the main plot points in the story such as; the harassment of the prisoners, the smuggling of contraband items into Shawshank, and the prisoners making their own lives easier by using the corruption for their own purposes.

In the novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King, banker Andy Dufresne is wrongfully convicted of murder and sent to Shawshank Prison. Andy’s shrewd nature and sense of self-worth become valuable tools that allow him to thrive in prison under the harsh authority of the warden, Samuel Norton. King uses Norton to demonstrate that corruption is present throughout society and that the perception of good and evil can be altered depending on who presents a story.

Prisoners like Brooks were trained to like routine for so long, that they became used to the way they were treated. Andy became subject to extortion when the administrator used him to do their tax returns ; “By April of 1951, Andy was doing the tax returns for half the screws at Shawshank , and by 1952, he was doing almost all of them” (51) This quotation shows that lack of empathy , and morals used by the administration at Shawshank. Shawshank as a prison was highly corrupt and the prisoners suffered from mental abuse by use of extortion and punishment.

The idea that perseverance is an essential human quality is displayed In the Novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King. King shows that perseverance is an essential human quality through a character named andy dufresne the main protagonists. Throughout the story Andy is faced with many difficult scenarios that the average man would never have to overcome but andy perseveres and triumphs over all that is thrown at him and is entitled as a shawshank legend in the end. King also shows how if one does not persevere they will fail this is shown through a character named Brooks Hatlen

A man by the name of Andy Dufresne was convicted of murdering his wife and her lover and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in Shawshank prison. He was an obvious black sheep among the prisoners, but as time went on he grew relationships with the crooks and realized the injustice in the justice system. In the creation of friendship between Red and Andy, hope was spread throughout the prison. While many themes are present in the film The Shawshank Redemption, hope, friendship, and injustice are also relevant in the world today.

reds relationship with the guards and inmates are the only reason red has had a successful stay at shawshank. throughout shawshank red makes many deals with the guards not only improving his time at shawshank but giving him a higher status in the prison " Nine or Ten names drawn out of hat and two of them happend to be Andy's and my own" (Page 40) It can most deffinitely be inferred that red made some sort of deal with the gaurds to get the both of them on the roof top considering it was a desired job and nearly seventy other men also wanted the job. Red's relationship withthe gaurds gets him the things he wants when he wants giving him a more positive outlook on the time he is serving. Red is known as the man who can get you things arounf shawshank. Nearly everyone comes to him for anything from cigarettes to a rock hammer. He not only makes a profit off of the items he gets for people he gains a source of power within the prison. Red being the man who can get things is really what sparked the relationship between Andy and Red. " I heard your the man who knows how to get things" (Pg 27) Short but sweet some of the first words shared by andy to red. This is a major monent in the novella because this

Close Comparative Analysis Of Stephen King’s Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption

In the novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, the reader follows the life of Andy Dufresne, who was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and a golf pro. Author Stephen King, who is known for his simpler, conversation esque writing, describes Andy’s experiences and attempt to escape from Shawshank Prison where he is being held. Red, Andy’s most valuable friend while in prison, is also in prison for killing his wife, but in contrast to Andy, he actually did it. Andy is constantly denied his freedom for parole or when evidence arises proving his innocence because of his role running the illegal money laundering scheme for Warden Norton. Throughout the novella, both characters display moments of similar, but also at times vastly different, levels of hope. King uses the way characters, such as Red and Andy, view hope as either a means of escape or simply futile in the novella to show how the circumstances surrounding a tragedy or difficult situation change a character’s mindset on hope and in turn dictates the actions they use to cope.

Holding onto one’s humanity is a skill that takes constant practice and the conscious decision to do so. The protagonist of the film, Andy, is very different from the rest on his inmates at Shawshank in that he manages to hold onto his humanity throughout his time in prison despite many trying situations. This trait is first expressed when Andy asks if anyone knows the name of man who was beaten to death by the guards on his first night in prison. By simply having some human emotion Andy has proven that he is not willing to let prison change who he is as a human being. Again, Andy leaps out of his comfort zone during his confrontation with the guard on the roof. Perched on the edge of the roof, Andy spreads his wings and risks the fall in order to grant his inmates a taste of the outside world through the simple luxury of a few beers for his friends to enjoy. The great beauty of a man who not only has the courage to hold onto his own humanity but also has the boldness to help others do the same is what makes Andy such a captivating protagonist. His courage and determination are the only thing keeping him human and moreso, keeping him sane.

But before he escapes Andy’s been doing the wardens taxes and he has made the warden rich with dirty money that Andy made clean. One day Andy tells Red about his dream of getting out of prison and moving to Mexico and living by the ocean and fixing up a boat. This shows the subject of happiness because that's Andy’s dream believing in it makes Andy happy. This connects to the theme through happiness Andy found happiness with friends and his dream, later when he escapes, he becomes rich and accomplishes his dream and achieves true happiness when Red gets out he moves in with

In Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King and its movie adaptation , The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne and Red face many challenges within themselves. These two men have been incarcerated for almost half of their lives. They’ve become so adjusted to prison life that they question whether or not they would know how to survive without. Andy’s escape showed readers and watchers that his crave and hope for freedom is much stronger than Red’s. There are many similarities as well as differences between the book and film. Both the book and film are based upon hope and freedom.

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption is a short story by Stephen King, published in 1982. Andy Dufresne is sent to Shawshank after being wrongfully convicted for murdering his wife and her lover; after twenty seven years he escapes by tunneling through his cell wall. Andy Dufresne is the prison librarian that helps Warden Norton handle money, Warden Norton is a heavily religious and corrupt prison warden, the “Sisters” are prison rapists that enjoy having power over the over inmates, Hadley is a prison guard, and Red is the man that can get contraband items for the other inmates. Throughout the story Warden Norton, Andy Dufresne, and the Sisters gain, maintain, and lose power.