Hope And Oppression In Shawshank Redemption

By Casey Whyte

Hope and oppression are two major themes portrayed by Ken Kesey throughout One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Frank Darabont in Shawshank Redemption. Kesey and Darabont explore the constant battle between the two through a number of techniques, in particular, religious imagery, symbolism, motifs and film techniques. The battle explored through these techniques conveys the message that the two come hand in hand with one another; without oppression there would be no need to hope.

Kesey and Darabont explore the constant battle of hope and oppression in people of authority, depicting that power can corrupt, through the use of juxtaposition and symbolism. Nurse Ratched is symbolic of oppression; she is juxtaposed with Randle McMurphy, who is symbolic of hope. Ratched’s main goal in the novel is to enforce order and control; she is “smooth and calculated.” She emasculates the men by oppressing their sexuality and making them feel ashamed , presenting her as a symbol of oppression. Similarly Darabont uses an authority figure, Warden Norton, as a symbol of oppression. Norton believed in “discipline and the bible”, he was the almighty power within the prison, just like Ratched. Norton’s power is apparent when he orchestrates Tommy’s murder. Like Ratched, he oppresses those within his institution, using his power to force the prisoners into conforming a certain way. Kesey juxtaposes Ratched’s oppressive nature with McMurphy, the symbol of hope in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He continually goes against Ratched, showing the men that there is hope and that they don’t need to conform to Ratched’s twisted idea of sane. In Shawshank Redemption the idea of oppression is juxtaposed with Andy Dufresne, who is the complete antith...

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...sion. It is obvious that all of the men are oppressed because they are in prison however the uniforms the prisoners wear reflect oppression because it shows how much time has passed with very little change, it also shows that they lack individuality as a result of their oppression. Darabont battles this idea of oppression with the use lighting to show hope. The oak tree scene and the final scene where Red and Andy are reunited on the beach are lit up and full of colour, reflecting hope and freedom.

Kesey and Darabont use a number of techniques to explore the constant battle between hope and oppression. Through exploring this battle they show that without symbols of oppression there would be no need to hope. They convey the message that people in powerful positions are likely to abuse their power and that when it comes to hope and oppression one will always prevail.