Michal Jacobs
ENG 2150, Dr. Blankenship
March 8, 2016
Paper 1: Rhetorical Analysis of a Cultural Artifact
Dear Dr. Blankenship and Writer’s Group:
What I’m analyzing: The Shawshank Redemption
Title for my Paper: Coming Out of the Darkness: The Shawshank Redemption
Why I chose this Topic: I chose this movie because I felt this was an inspirational and powerful movie that incorporated many life lessons that I could relate to. This movie had a great plot with a wonderful cast that portrayed real life situations. There are many conflicting scenes throughout this movie and I felt the movie solved all of the conflicts and I felt satisfied with the ending.
My process in writing this draft: I felt there were many different ways that I could have analyzed this paper, so it was difficult in selecting the specific aspects I wanted to focus on, however once I chose the topics, there were many themes I found to be interconnected.
My thesis is: The Shawshank Redemption is a powerful, emotional movie created by its strong protagonist and its inspirational message, in which the subject matter of overcoming obstacles and redeeming oneself can appeal to all audiences.
How I support my thesis and organize my draft: My thesis was supported with the examples of situations in which the main characters coped with certain situations and how they changed and grew emotionally through their experiences.
Who is the audience in my mind as I’m writing: My audience is mainstream America of all different age groups and racial groups because this movie can appeal to all.
The biggest challenges have been: The biggest challenges were pinpointing the specific areas that needed further analysis to them.
Here’s what I think is going well: I think my supporting details to my thesis are very accurate.
Here’s what I think needs more work: I think I could work on more character analysis.
Here are questions I have for you as you read:
- Did I give a good analysis of this film in terms of the characters and plot?
- Did I prove my thesis with the supporting examples?
- Did I have a good introduction and conclusion that related to the body and purpose of this paper?
- Did I take into account all terms of the rhetorical analysis?
Life is full of many unexpected challenges. Whether adversity is deserved or not, it is how a person deals with these challenges, which will define them as a strong individual. The Shawshank Redemption is a brilliant film that delves into the souls of two men, as they take on the hardships of prison life, while keeping hope eternal. These characters represent two different perspectives into the mind state of a prisoner with a life sentence. Interestingly, the story is told from the perspective of the senior prisoner and how a newcomer’s determination would affect the lives of everyone he would attach himself to. Both points of view seem to balance each other out, which can be found in this friendship. The Shawshank Redemption is a powerful, emotional movie created by its strong protagonist and its inspirational message, in which the subject matter of overcoming obstacles and redeeming oneself can appeal to all audiences.
The Shawshank Redemption is a tale of hope in the midst of despair telling the story of Andy Dufrense (Tim Robbins), a successful banker condemned with a life-sentence in Shawshank Prison for the assumed murder of his wife and her lover. Upon Andy’s arrival at the prison, he meets Red (Morgan Freeman), a fellow convict and supplier of all goods coming into the prison. The two men connect and become best friends, despite their different backgrounds. Because of his connection to Red, Andy is rescued from a beating from the convict gangs and is later under protection from the guards when the warden begins using him in his money laundering operation. Andy’s dream of living by the beach in a Mexican coastal town is resolved when he escapes through the sewers under the prison and is on his way while seeking ultimate justice by revealing the crimes of his captors.
This all-time favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption was based on the novel, by acclaimed author, Stephen King. It was originally titled, “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”. Rita Hayworth was an actress in the 1940’s, the time of the setting of this novel. She is symbolic because her poster hangs in the cell covering the hole through the tunnel, in which Andy Dufrense would escape, a plan twenty years in the making. The setting of the prison has significant meaning throughout this film, in terms of the audience. This impenetrable fortress is representative of the realism of Andy’s tragic situation. In the beginning of the film, Red, the narrator, first points out this description of Andy in the prison. “The first night is the toughest no doubt about it. They march you in naked as the day you were born, skin burning and half blind when they put you in that cell… and those bars slam home… that is when you know it is for real. Nothing left, but all that time in the world to think about it.” In the film, the audience sees the closing of the steel doors before lights during the parole board scenes and whenever the inmates gaze out of their own cell, the symbol of prison represents loss of freedom and hope. However, there is a central message with the showing of the poster of Rita Hayworth, in which hope can rise from the darkness. These constraints are a testament to the strength of the human spirit. The director of this film, Frank Darabont, was probably debating on whether to be using black and white scenes for parts of this film, instead of color to bring out the bleak nature of this film, however it might have had a negative affect on the audience’s perception. This technique could have possibly enhanced the human experience of actually being part of the storyline. The title of this film, The Shawshank Redemption, can be summed up with a very famous quote from the movie, “Get busy living, or get busy dying.” The redemption for these two men comes about differently, but inevitably comes together at the end. Andy has shown what can be accomplished when a plan of action is put into place, struggling through years of hardship, but persevering towards his goal, which never waivers. Red considers his bleak life when he becomes a parolee and a grocery clerk, but remembers Andy’s plea to join him in Mexico if he is even released. Red’s ultimate decision “to get busy living” is an additional message of the story that a person can change and improve and have a second chance at life. The theme of redemption in this movie is really for the audience to determine. This ambiguity enhances the movie’s ability to leave us wondering about Andy’s innocence or guilt for much of the film. This mystery adds to the power of his innocence and fuels the determination of his character in his final escape. The sheer strength of his character brings about the pathos to which the audience will ride along in this journey to his freedom, not just from the Shawshank prison and its injustice, but also from the overshadowing of tyranny and hopelessness that prisons foster and promote.
Hope and redemption more than anything else is what drives the inhabitants of Shawshank and gives them the will to live. However, for some characters in this movie, hope can be an abstract passive emotion and redemption comes in a different way. For example, the character of Brooks Hatlen (James Whitmore), who was an institutionalized prisoner for forty-years in the Shawshank prison is finally paroled, but cannot adjust to normal life and therefore takes his own life. It does not seem as if there is redemption in Brook’s future because he does not allow his life to continue in order to feel as a whole man again. He is still broken by his incarceration and too much time has passed for him to start again. Brook’s releases Jake, his pet pigeon before he leaves prison on parole. This represents Brooke’s letting go of any hope he has of surviving life on the outside. He symbolically looks for Jake in the park, but neither finds the bird or hope outside the prison. His redemption is also not attainable because Brooks has not been able to acquire the ability to solve problems. He has never had to make a decision or contemplate a plan. Problem solving requires a problem. Similarly, Red’s problem lies in his institutionalized way of thinking as well. “Hope is a dangerous thing, he tells Andy.” He supports the prison system and believes it has helped him and is the first to tell everyone what he thinks they want to hear. Once he begins to oppose the system through his parole board hearings, he begins to stands up for himself and takes on a new point of view. It is at that point; he can leave Shawshank Prison a new man.
From Red and everyone in the prison’s point of view, the problem of Shawshank is the over abundance of support. However from Andy’s point of view, the problem is the opposite- stifling control. An example of Andy’s inner strength is when he continually petitions the state for new books to stock the prison library. He receives rejection after rejection from the state, but continues to send letters week after week and is ultimately successful. Andy’s courage allows him to believe in himself and carry himself to his dream.
Much of the religious fervor in this movie contains empty, spiritual rhetoric. This is clearly verbalized by the character Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton) who is the corrupt and heartless warden of Shawshank state prison. Norton’s attempt at redemption is merely a façade to maintain his good public image. He portrays himself as a strict Christian, who says he believes in two things: discipline and the Bible. After learning of Andy’s accounting skills, he employs him for his own illegal uses of laundering money and transferring it into various accounts. Later on, when Andy confronts the warden with knowing the real murderer of his wife and her lover, who is willing to testify on his behalf, Norton blackmails him with threats of destroying the library and being placed in solitary confinement. His religious verbose might appeal to the logos of a devout society, in which he creates “A holier than thou attitude towards the prisoners.” It is viewed as a psychological manipulation to already depressed and subservient inmates. Upon discovering that Andy has escaped through the tunnel, the warden realizes that he has been duped by Andy and is now completely exposed to society’s judgment and will be incarcerated in his own prison and decides to take his own life. Andy has found redemption, yet again.
Andy’s ability to overcome these major obstacles is astounding to Red and the other prisoners. He has come to the prison a successful banker with a nice house, wife, etc. His whole future is changed because of an unjust decision. His first night in prison, the other convicts actually place bets to see if he makes it through the night. Andy’s determination provides strength that allows him to save himself and Red and the other prisoners as well. This theme of hope, and determination amidst the constraints of society are relatable to the reading by James Baldwin “My Dungeon Shook-Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation.” Surely, racism was imprisonment for all Black Americans at its peak and the residual effects remained long lasting. However, hope and inspiration can rise above despair and it is important to focus on future generations and how one person’s perspective can bring about change.
The important message of “The Shawshank Redemption” will have a lasting impression on its viewer long after the final scene of the movie. This is attributed to the many memorable scenes that make film so iconic. The reason this movie resonates with the audience is because there is an undeniable connection through the various themes, which explore the human experience. These include dealing with an unjust predicament, solving problems, persistence and perseverance and helping others within the framework of friendship. These are common life-lessons, which anyone can relate to. Shawshank Redemption reminds us that despite the hardships and challenges life brings before us, each person can find their own personal island of redemption should they be determined to find one.