Don’t Give Up For a “The Shawshank Redemption”

A touching story, “The Shawshank Redemption” is known as the movie that redeemed prison films. A new take on incarcerated life, it doesn’t contain the violent prison riots so commonplace in films in its genre. There is violence and subjugation, but mostly it depicts inmates as those who are just trying to live out their monotonous life that exists behind bars. Andy (played by Tim Robbins) is innocent, as we find out in the beginning. His steadfast belief that someday he’ll be free keeps his hopes alive. His friend and narrator of the film Red (played by the brilliant Morgan Freeman) tells him that hope is dangerous. Andy doesn’t care. Red has been in the system so long, his world has shrunk to the drab grey concrete walls of the prison. Life for Red is about keeping his head down, buying friendships with knickknacks he can get from “the outside” and a resignation that he will die incarcerated. In fact, the prison to him has become home, and he can’t imagine life any other way.

Andy has a different view. Sure, he’s a newcomer, but he ends up spending almost 20 years behind bars. The entire time, though, his goal is to get out somehow. He comes up with a plan that eventually results in his freedom. I can’t imagine hanging on to a dream for 20 years. The waiting, the anticipation, and the trials experienced during that time would take a huge toll on me for sure. During the waiting, however, Andy doesn’t isolate himself as he waits for his “real” life to begin. He revitalizes the library. He helps the prison staff with their taxes. He builds friendships, the most important friendship being with Red. He helps out as best he can where he’s at.

Many of us struggle with this. If only we had a better job, were a little older (or maybe a little younger), if we could just save up enough money, if we could only improve ourselves somehow. Life will start then. The grass will be greener next year, we tell ourselves. We’ve gotten used to life the way it is, and have resigned ourselves in a self-incarceration of defeat. Andy proves us wrong. Life is now, and we’re missing life if we think better days are to come.