The Shawshank Redemption is a movie about Andy Dufresne who is given two life sentences: one for the murder of his wife, and another for his wife’s lover. He goes to prison for 19 years, but knows all along that he is innocent. He meets Red (Morgan Freeman), a man which he becomes very close friends with. It’s a story with a strong topic and strong, brutal scenes, but definitely a must-see movie in your teenage years.
1. “They send you here for life, and that’s exactly what they take” – Red
On the other hand, Andy knew better. As soon as he was taken to Shawshank he accepted what his new life had turned into instead of fighting against it—he knew there was no wait out, at least not soon enough. Throughout the story, there’s a theme of constant determination and acceptance. Something that stood out to me is how he fought to not let anyone take his life away, as the quote says. Part of his life was his passion, his passion for rocks. He then gets a rock hammer: his silver lining.
There are many messages to take away from this movie, but if there’s something that has to stick with us is the power of being institutionalized—the power of being controlled and consumed by the system. Andy was a man that knew where we stood; he was an innocent man after all, and always kept his determination for not letting that system consume him and make it feel comfortable in it, just like Red and Brooks grew to be. That is honorable of a man that knows what he wants in life.
2. The unknown
We discussed as a class how there was a clear connection to our transition into college. There’s a large pool of students whose only purpose in life is to get to prestigious and elite colleges. Why? To get a job, to have a lot of money, to raise a family, and being able to provide all their family needs (superficial, if you ask me). Students dream for years and years—some even a lifetime—to get to the college of their dreams. However, this doesn’t always turn out how they wanted. Yes, it might be that BIG-named University you can brag about with your friends and family, but how many are genuinely happy where they are at? I’m sure it’s not 100% of the students.