Theme of Hope in Shawshank Redemption

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.

In Frank Darabont’s film Shawshank Redemption, the themes of isolation and hope are used to underscore the effects of imprisonment. However, the main characters Andy and Red perceive prison life and freedom very differently. First off, one of the key reasons Andy survived in prison is due to the hope he held. On the other hand, Red lost all hope of getting out of prison. Furthermore, life for both characters became quite different once they are released from prison.

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

Adversity is an inevitable component of human’s lives. Without it, individuals would glide through their existences without any mishappenings along the way and life would be nearly perfect. While this situation seems ideal, it is unrealistic and actually detrimental to personal development. The obstacles people face play a key role in shaping who they become. Without difficulties, individuals will not be exposed to real, purposeful problem solving skills. They will not receive the opportunity to face adversity head on and potentially come out victorious, all while learning a lesson and improving themselves along the way. If people become apathetic to their troubles, they are actually admitting a defeat. They will not get the chance to experience the satisfaction that is a result of besting misfortunes. In order to do this, individuals must use the pressure that these troubling times cause to their advantage by holding onto hope and the value of life. In The Shawshank Redemption, the text creator develops the idea that anyone can overcome the most terrible of situations if they remain patient, optimistic and logical. When Andy Dufresne is imprisoned as a result of false accusations, he uses his fortitude to inspire hope within other prisoners and eventually escape the harsh confinement. On the other hand, Red is transformed from a spiteful convict to an optimistic man upon meeting Andy. When individuals are placed under immense pressure over a long period of time, then they

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.

Hope is something that was similar between the characters in chapter six of Stevenson’s book and Andy Dufresne in the film. A quote that involved hope that was very important to myself was when Mrs.Jennings said “...But if we don’t expect more from each other, hope better for one another, and recover from the hurt we experience, we are surely doomed (Stevenson 126).” One can see how in the young boy Charlie’s situation hope had to be present whether some say it was before or after Mr. Stevenson visited the boy in the county jail. Charlie was going to be tried as an adult for murdering his mother’s boyfriend George after George had previously severely abused his mother. Related back to the quote from Mrs.Jennings, she talks about how if people don’t hope better for one another then they are surely doomed. Mr.Stevenson was not going to take Charlie’s case until he had knew that he had been sexually assaulted the nights before. Stevenson left the jail angry about what had happened and who allowed this act to take place. I believe that both Charlie and Mr.Stevenson both had to hope for the best and Ms.Jennings hoped for something better in Charlie’s life. Hope is also something that Andy Dufresne also had during his time at Shawshank prison. An example of Andy’s hope in Shawshank Redemption is when he played the woman’s music over the intercom. All of the men felt free and felt hope just as Andy had when they listened to the woman’s beautiful voice. In the film, Red makes a comment saying “It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.” This quote signifies hope because for that brief moment they felt something they they hadn’t felt in so many years after being locked away. The feeling was like an awakening of hope

The film Shawshank Redemption was released in 1995 and directed by Frank Darabont and Of Mice and Men directed by Gary Sinise released on 1992 based on the John Steinbeck novel both discuss themes of escape, friendship and becoming free from the issues that impact the main characters. Both directors convey the difficult lives of the characters in America, during the 1930s. Shawshank Redemption set inside a prison looks at the 20 year period of wrongly convicted Andy Dufrense and his friendship with Red. Of Mice and Men highlights the lives of poor laborers during the great depression. Lennie and George have a complicated friendship, but they rely on each other in this time of need. The use of setting, characterization and symbolism emphasizes the key themes allowing the audience to connect with each character. Both directors effectively illustrate to the audience, the hardships of the characters by capturing the lives of those that strive to make their lives better and seek the freedom they deserve.

Ishmael`s hope for a better life portrays one example of the theme “Always have hope”. The war was very traumatic for everyone in the country. In fact, Ishmael joined the army at only 12 years old. While fighting in the war, Ishmael recalled his family and the wisdom they left with him. For example, Ishmael`s father said, “If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person he or she will die” (Beah54). Ishmael holds on to his father`s words as they comfort him and divert his attention away from the war around him. He could`ve given up many times during the journey. Instead, Ishmael does not lose hope and continues to move on because he knows that life will get better.

“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

Andy’s hope of escaping Shawshank prison to Mexico is used by King to show the reader how hope can be a positive quality to have, such as Andy who uses hope as motivation to not become institutionalized. Andy is persistent writing letters to the state, asking for more money for building a better library. This shows that Andy is hopeful for additional funds for his library, which not only gets him on better ground with the

There is a great injustice in putting a man in prison to rot; not giving him a purpose or letting him use his skills. So easily, he will lose his courage and ability to hold onto his integrity and humanity. So quickly, he will lose himself. Holding onto one’s humanity is a skill that takes constant practice and the conscious decision to do so. It takes great courage to cling to one’s humanity when he is faced with trying and troublesome situations. At points, one’s integrity might be compromised but if he has grit he can hold onto his humanity all the same. Director Frank Darabont uses the film, the Shawshank Redemption, to prove that the ability to hold onto one’s humanity is a practice that is nurtured and developed through acts of valor.

In the film Shawshank Redemption the archetypes Loyal companions and mentor suggest that we as humans always find happiness and friendship in the darkest of time. There are more archetypes that are shown throughout the entire film. But, the subjects fear, friendship, and happiness are the topics most shown throughout the movie.

The theme of hope is both displayed in the book and film when Red talks about Andy’s demeanor while in prison. Red states how prison has not changed Andy and how he wears his freedom “like an invisible coat”......“He never developed the walk that men get when their day is over and they are going back to their cells for another endless night,” (King 72). This “invisible coat” is hope. It has helped Andy live on as a free man in his spirit. During his time spent at Shawshank, Andy voluntarily completed many tasks. He took over

Hope enables us to endure through even the most miserable situations. The reason why hope is such a powerful force because it is not just a “wish” that everything that will be alright, Hope is a belief that the problems will eventually subside if it is endured for long enough. Just the belief that a person still have something to live for in the face of utter defeat, is enough for people to keep going. An example of this happening is during Nazi-era concentration camp in Bergen Belsen, where the tragic Anne Frank died only one month before rescue. “ Women who knew Anne Frank in the Bergen Belsen camp said that neither hunger nor typhus killed the young girl… she lost the will to live after the death of her sister Margot.”

This I believe. Hope can bring people together, and hope can tear people apart. Most importantly hope gives us a reason to go on. Recently, my grandpa went through a sickness called encephalitis. He was supposed to die, and everyone knew it. The doctors gave him a few weeks to live at most, and we prepared for it. But in the back of all of our minds was that little voice saying "What if?'. What If he does make it? It's possible, isn't it? But none of us wanted to be disappointed, so for the most part, it stayed in the back of our minds. So when he made a recovery that not even the doctors saw coming, that voice in the back of my head was now saying to me "I told you so!".