Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

PLOT
     The story seemed meant to be read at an appropriate pace. It contains many stories about Red's experiences. Most of the stories were somewhat uninteresting and drawn out. This can be compared to the drawn out days of living in a penitentiary. However, towards the end of the story it became more up beat and exciting, just as Red's life began again and he set off on his journey to find Andy. The author could have improved the story by making the dialogue more consistent rather than writing paragraphs between what seemed like every phrase that was spoken.

Point of View
     Red, like many inmates, had an outlook on life that seemed dull and dim. As a result he spent at least one third of his life in prison. Obviously it is unrealistic for inmates to dream about one day escaping, but their ideas about life prevented them from being productive or hopeful as Andy was. Andy, however, felt that he still had many opportunities in his life. Although he was wrongly convicted of murder, Andy managed to remain hopeful. Andy's hope and determination set him free to live the truly happy life he deserved. Eventually Red viewed life as Andy had, and risked going back to prison to see his friend in Mexico. If Red had given up, he may have never been released from jail, or at least never appreciated being out of jail.

Characterization
     Andy was very withdrawn from contact with other inmates when he first arrived at Shawshank. His calm and laid back demeanor made the reader, like the jury, feel that he was cold blooded and most likel did commit the crime. He was also very secluded, which gave the warden and most others the impression that he thought he was better than everyone else. Had Andy been more outgoing, the warden may have allowed Tommy to testify for Andy and he would have been released from prison. Red seemed to be the wise veteran around the prison. This allowed the reader to relate to him as an experienced man, and created the image of Red being a great storyteller. The reader could trust that Red was a truthful and reliable source due to his life experience and his admission to his crime, which proves to the reader that Red is now trustworthy.

Setting
     The setting of a prison made the story difficult to relate to the characters and situations. However, the story obviously would not have made sense in a different setting. Red narrated the story well enough for readers to understand most of the stories. The setting is not one that is overly familiar to most readers, but Red described the events well. The setting of Andy crawling through 500 yards of a sewar pipe also showed how determined Andy was to become a free man once again. Andy's patience over time also represented his great determination, because he spent years breaking through the last bit of the tunnel that could have taken only days to complete.

Theme
     The theme of the story is hope. Red was a man with very little hope for a better future for himself. He had come to terms with his crime and knew he had to take responsiblity for what he did. He seemed as if he was completely hopeless. However, when Andy began to speak of hope, Red started to change his mind. Andy convinced Red that hope is "a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." Andy chased his new dream of starting anew near the pacific. Andy stated the the mexicans belived the Pacific has no memory, and he eventually made it to the Pacific and accomplished his dream. Andy never lost hope even though he was faced with terrible misfortune. He also inspired Red to hope and achieve his dreams.