Hope In The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption was based upon the short story Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King. It tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a successful banker condemned to Shawshank prison for the murder of his wife and her lover who forms an unlikely friendship with prisoner Ellis Boyed ‘Red’ Redding (Morgan Freeman).

It was directed by Frank Darabont who used a number of filming techniques such as music, lighting, and text as well as camera angles to present the main themes of the plot. The theme revealed by the main character Andy is that hope is the key to redemption as the prisoners of Shawshank prison fight institutionalisation.

To begin with, the theme of hope is heavily played throughout the film as hope can be inspiration to ‘get busy living’ for Andy hope is his key to survive, to find freedom and bring peace in the darkest of places. However, hope can also be a dangerous thing as stated by Red as hope is hopeless and thus no use inside Shawshank but Andy continues to hold on his belief as fear can hold you prisoner but hope can set you free even with all the hardship he goes though. Furthermore, the film explores the long term effects of incarceration on the prisoners by discussing institutionalisation:

“Let me tell you something my

The director also wanted us to see the effect Andy had on Red, making the audience realise that people do have choices and that Red was able to adjust pulling us more into the emotional plight of these two