Shawshank Redemption Sociological Analysis

In 1994, Frank Darabont’s film ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ received a poor reception when released; it only made a $0.3m profit. More recently the film has become known as one of the greatest movies of all time, it has inspired hope in many people, helping them to lose weight, leave abusive marriages and such like. The film is based mainly upon two convicts, and the idea of hope. Andy Dufresne is a ‘Hot Shot Banker’ imprisoned with two life sentences, for the suspected murder of his wife and her lover and ‘Red’ (Morgan Freeman) whom Andy redeems hope in, along with the other convicts, saving them from institutionalisation.

The movie the Shawshank Redemption, based on the book by Steven King, I believe is one of the best movies ever made. The portrayal of prison life in the movie is the best I have seen and a star-studded cast including Morgan Freeman supports the characters and brings to life the everyday struggles of life behind bars. In this paper I will relate topics from class to the movie and discuss information we have learned through out the semester.

Directed by Frank Darabont, The Shawshank Redemption tells the Story of Andy Dufrane, a man who has been wrongly convicted of murder and must endure life inside the harsh and corrupt Shawshank prison, but despite this he never loses hope of finding freedom. Hope is an important inspiring idea in this film, as it is what sustains him during the long and difficult years within the prison, and it is the result of this enduring hope that Andy finally finds freedom. There are many visual and oral techniques used throughout the film to portray the idea of hope. This includes the hope that Andy holds, and

At first, he has a difficult time making friends thanks to his reputation of being “a snob and a coldfish” (King 27). He is very different from the other prisoners, partly because he knows he is not guilty and thus wears this confidence on his sleeve. It is the memory of his former freedom which provokes this seemingly arrogant attitude that both helps and hinders him. Nevertheless, this behavior serves as the very thing that first attracts the narrator, Red, to Andy. Not a man to be easily impressed nor persuaded, it comes as quite a shock to the reader that these two polar opposites form a bond. Red is able to see past what the other inmates label as “snobbishness” and instead takes comfort in Andy’s nonchalant approach to life and the tone of confidence that consumes him. Red views Andy as a much needed breath of fresh air to his musty routine within the Shank. However, it seems that their budding friendship is initially a greater asset to Red than it is to Andy. Although it may help Andy begin to find his place, he is primarily concerned with his own well-being, which is sustained only by his memories and not by the companionship of a stranger. An addition to this list of survival tools is Andy’s ability to keep his mind on the outside rather than focusing on the finality of prison life. His capacity to do so separates him from his peers, in that he becomes one of the few “long timers” able to avoid the characteristic walk, that in a

The Shawshank Redemption movie is about a man named Andy Dufresne who was falsely accused of murder and was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife and her lover. Being in jail, Andy faced many problems of being abused, but he also gained a strong friendship with a man named Red. Many of the things that the prisoners had to face showed a sociological perspective on how life was in jail and how it affected the prisoners. In Shawshank prison, the functionalism theory, the conflict perspective, and the control theory shows the life and adjustments a prisoner has to make in order to survive going into a new world.

knowing that Andy is vulnerable, gets him on the tar duty and seems to take him

The movie, Shawshank Redemption, is about a story of two men, Andy Dufrane and Red Abbott, who spent most of their lives in a prison together going through the ups and downs of prison life. Andy, who was once a vice-president at a bank, was in prison for murdering his wife and her lover, when he caught them in bed together; he was giving life in prison. Whereas Red, also a convicted murderer, got life but with a chance of parole. The two grew close to each other because they were both very educated men and had the same interests. After five years of doing the laundry, the warden thought it would in the prisons best interest to use such an educated man as Andy in the library. So they transferred Andy from the laundry to

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.

He might be the only hope in the prison, since he is the only innocent one. His hope for a brighter future leads him to accomplish a great number of achievements. Not only did he manage to get a prison library, he managed to educate a young prisoner at high school level. Dufresne’s best friend, Red keeps telling him that hope is a dangerous thing and will drive a man crazy. But when the warden shoots Dufresne’s only witness and hope to be released, he seemed to lose hope. He became closer to being institutionalized.

“The Shawshank redemption” is a film in which Andy Dufresne is wrongfully given two life sentences for the murder of his wife and her lover and is sent to the Shawshank prison where Andy is subjected to a variety of different beatings by the guards and other inmates, even being raped by other inmates. After getting involved with doing the guards taxes the crooked warden forces him to hide his many untaxed revenues. After Andy escapes he leaves the jail in scandal by giving evidence to the press surrounding the warden’s dodgy dealings. This paper will be analysing how the director, Frank Darabont uses stylistic features to present the idea of hope in the film. The primary features used in this film was symbolism but there is the use of lighting

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.

The movie, The Shawshank Redemption (1994), is based on a character Andy Dufresne. Andy is a young and successful banker who is sent to Shawshank Prison for murdering his wife and her secret lover. His life is changed drastically upon being convicted and being sent to prison. He is sent to prison to serve a life term. Over the 20-years in prison, Andy retains optimism and eventually earns the respect of his fellow inmates. He becomes friends with Red, and they both comfort and empathize with each other while in prison. The story has a strong message of hope, spirit, determination, courage, and desire.

benefits of this Act. The first time the prisoners went to their cells, they were to be naked and holding their clothes. This nudity allowed the prisoners to be vulnerable to other inmates. This continues when the inmates take a shower. There is no privacy walls in the showers, and this can promote sexual abuse. Andy had an unpleasant encounter with Bogs Diamond, the leader of “the sisters.” This gang was known to sexually abuse inmates. Bogs first words to Andy were “did anyone get to you yet,” implying sexual assault. Sexual assault in prisons is relativity common and Shawshank Redemption depicted the issue well. The Shawshank State Penitentiary staff needed to recognize the signs of victimization and prevent it from happening. However, the guards did know about the abuse and looked the other way for two years. Prison rape is unlawful and needs to be monitored closely. Another situation that needs to be vanquished from the prison is the nefarious corruption.

Shawshank Redemption is the story of a friendship unfolding over thirty years. It is the story of the value and potential of a person, and how anyone can find the courage to keep fighting during hard times. One of the main characters, Andy Dufresne faces insurmountable odds, while still holding onto hope. Red is the narrator of the story and Andy’s closest friend. By following their stories, we can examine their lives inside the criminal justice system. To see how society and its elite players treat the people labeled as criminals, and how those elite men become criminals themselves.

The Shawshank Redemption first introduces Andy Dufresne as a good guy, being wrongfully sentenced to two life sentences in prison for murder. After spending nineteen years in Shawshank Prison, Andy went from being a good person to a bad one. Dufresne seemed to have been a decent guy before he was sent to prison, being an intelligent, former banker. It’s not until Dufresne deceives the