A Brief Analysis on Hope and Redemption in the FilmThe Shawshank RedemptionBy×××A thesissubmitted to the Foreign Language and Literature Department of××××××in partial fulfillment ofthe requirement for the degree ofBACHELOR OF ARTSinENGLISH LANGUAGE×××May, 2012A Brief Analysis on Hope and Redemption in the FilmThe Shawshank Redemption×××Abstract: This paper intends to analyze the hope and redemption in the film The Shawshank Redemption. Through three main characters’ feeling about the prison and free, we can know their faith and different hope thoroughly. Hope and redemption is couple of opposite words. Hope in the film is the theme. People can not abandon the hope, and we should strive for it for all our lives. Hope like a lighthouse to light up the path ahead for everyone. Everyone will make mistake, so we should be required introspection and self-analysis. Self-analysis is a requisite procedure to deal with some important things. We can find out the approach to solve the problem. This paper also remains the relationship between the hope and redemption. And according to the background of the movie, we can understand the social problem in that period. In a summary, this movie is a mirror of the black part of the society, in which there are oppression and abnormal treatment, but with hope, people can be free successfully, and also can achieve the redemption.Key words: The Shawshank Redemption; hope; redemption; self-analysis; faith; friendship.浅析电影《肖申克的救赎》中的希望与救赎【内容提要】这篇论文旨在分析电影《肖申克的救赎》中的希望与救赎。

通过对电影中三个具体人物的分析并简述他们在肖申克监狱中及出狱后的不同感受及心理变化，更好的了解了三人对待自由的不同理解。

希望与救赎本是一对立义，希望是电影的主旨思想，只有坚守希望及自己的信念，不放弃梦想，才能最终走向成功。

电影中，还有一更能令人思考的话题，便是救赎。

无人能无错过完一生，过错伴随着人的一生，怎样面对，怎样反省才更为重要。

时时反省自己，就是对错误的救赎。

不断的在错误中反省，更能清楚问题的所在，对事物的看法也就更清晰分明。

文章更提出救赎与希望的互补关系，两者是相辅相成。

通过对电影本身这面镜子，能够更清楚的看清当时社会的各种黑暗面，但是更让人们看到了想所带来的力量，它既能成全自由，又能完成自我救赎。

不要放弃希望与信仰，便离成功不远。

【关键词】《肖申克的救赎》；希望；救赎；自我反省；信仰；CONTENTSI Introduction (1)II A Brief Analysis on The Shawshank Redemption (1)2.1 The Social Background of the Movie (2)2.2 The Main Characters in the Movie (2)III The Best Explanation of Hope (3)3.1 Hope can Set You Free (3)3.2 Hope is A Good Thing (4)3.3 Take A Firm Conviction (4)IV The Best Interpretation of Redemption (5)4.1 The Original Meaning of Redemption (5)4.2 Andy’s Redemption in the Shawshank (5)V The Complementary Relationship Between Hope and Redemption6 VI Hope and Redemption in Reality Life (6)6.1 Hope on People's Practical Significance (7)6.2 Self Redemption in Modern Society. (7)VII Conclusion (7)References (9)Acknowledgements (10)A Brief Analysis on Hope and Redemption in the FilmThe Shawshank RedemptionI IntroductionThe shawshank redemption is an American film written and directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan freeman. And this film was adapted from the Stephen king novella Rita Hayworth and shawshank redemption. Many people hold on the view that this film was about the hope, the friendship and the faith, they think that it is an allegory for maintaining one’s feeling of self-worth when placed in a hopeless situation, but there also have a very important argument, that is the redemption. Redemption is a significant part in the film; it can be the complementary of another part hope. Every one may watch this movie, the story may be simple, but the truth behind the words is profound. The majority of people are in favor of the opinion that Andy Dufresne is a brave and wise man, and he raises the hopes or spirits of the person in the prison. I just remember the very impressive words, “Fear can hold you prisoner, and hope can set you free. A strong man can save himself; a great man can save another.” (King, 1983:118). This sentence says that if we conquered our fears and then we will get the final hope and free. Freedom in prison is a precious gift for those prisoners, and we should understand this freedom means their inner resources, the guilty man should save themselves and they should be repentant of things they did. So hope and redemption are much more important for characters in the shawshank prison, and also for every person. Auto-criticism is a foundation of hope. People cannot do without hope. A firm belief can prop up the hope, and then it can only take you so far. This article is mainly talk about the hope and redemption in the film The shawshank redemption, and hope and salvation in our modern society. (Rogers, 2010:131)II A Brief Analysis on The Shawshank RedemptionThe Shawshank Redemption was a film acted by Tim Robbins and Morgan freeman. Tim Robbins stars as Andy Dufresne and Morgan freeman as Ellis Boyd‘red’ Redding. Andy’s experience in prison and the rare friendship with Red is main clue; his self-security and what he did in prison also give rise to the attention. All these things are just signs, the internal factors are intricate. For instance, the society and the institution of law at that time and so on. Social background is the foremost section. And different people have different character. So it also plays an important role in the film.2.1The Social Background of the MovieThis story mainly talked about that the smart banker Andy Dufresne, who is falsely accused and convicted of the murder of his wife and her lover. Andy was sent to shawshank prison in 1940, he met many fellows in the prison, also including Red, his important friend. In prison, he did many things and his persistence cheers others up. How about the life in prison? “First you hate them, then you get used to, enough time passes…you get so you depend on them. This is i nstitutionalized.”(King, 1983:126) Red said. Institutionalized is terrible for every person. And Prison life consists of routine, and then more routine. When people adapted to the environment, they will be stereotyped. Even they left prison, they cannot adapt to the new life, and it is so lamentable. So society has a great influence on people. The story took place in an age without belief. The society never are lacking of the degeneration and corruption. (Studs, 1980:217) Although we are in a bad circumstance, we also should hold on and take action optimistic.2.2The Main Characters in the MovieI am impressed by the three men; they are Andy, Red and Brooks. Andy is the soul in the movie. He is an optimistic, tolerant and rational man. Although he was put in to prison undeserved, he never gave up, and tried his best to escape from the prison, just like his friend Red said that he had a quiet way about him, he just like a man in the park without a care or a worry in the world. From a banker to a prisoner, what makes him so calm and carefree? I think it is an attitude toward life, though this role, the movie convey the hope. Other prisoners can get the hope and the inner redemption from Andy. He used his knowledge to help others, to get the beers from the jailer; he played the music back to everyone: he rebuilt the library and so on. These thingsindicated that he never abandon his hope, he want to free. This image is a redeemer for the inmates and for himself. The second man is Red. The Irish man in the movie, but in progenitor original work, he is an Irish American. With the change of thought, Red got free finally. To some extent, it own into Andy. Andy’s thought exerted an influence on Red. So his attitude toward parole rejection has changed and approved finally. Red said to Andy that hope is a dangerous thing; hope can drive a man insane. But he said that there are places in the world that aren’t made out of stone; there is something inside that they can get to that they cannot touch. (Chen, 2010:97)It is yours, which is hope. These words cheer him up. And then he did not like Brooks, another man in the prison. Brooks is an old man who lived in shawshank several decades. And he was institutionalized by the prison. After he left the prison, he also could not live. It was a tragedy. If someone has hope he will free. Hope maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies.III The Best Explanation of HopeWhat is hope? Why we should have or manifest hope? Hope is the emotional state, the opposite of which is despair, which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one’s life. It is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. This is a general definition in the dictionary. And what is your hope? Different people have different hope. In a word, hope is always good. In the film, Andy’s hope is free, so he chose self-redeem. He wanted to go to Zihuatanejo, is a little place on the Pacific Ocean. There has no memory. It is a warm place with no memory, a beautiful hope. Hope can set you free. (Wang, 2006:195)Everyone wants to free. The hope can be flowers in our dreams.3.1Hope can Set You FreeFear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free. No one can get the entire their ideal freedom. But if we have hope, we will have the courage to live. People should grasp at hopes. In the shawshank, prisoners did not have the hope, they are living without aims. But Andy brought the sunshine to them. They know what the real life is. Like Red, he picked up the little hope, and then he saw the hope: a promise. Hope letAndy and Red free. Our bodies can be fettered by the prison, and maybe our mind can be shackled by the institutionalized things. But only we should not gave up the hope. Life will become colorlessness, without hope. When the music Canzonetta sull'aria rang out in the playground, the music like a bright sunshine to penetrate people’s heart. No one can understand the meaning of the music, but every prisoner in the shawshank felt the freedom at that time.3.2Hope is A Good ThingHope is a good thing. If you have a dream, you will have hope. No matter what circumstances we have, we also should hold on the dreams. We must believe in ourselves. But there is also have an exception. It is Brooks. He was qualified to leave prison, but he was in prison so long, so he did not adapt to the outside world. In the prison, he is an acquainted and knowledgeable person, but he will be nothing outside. Why they evaded the freedom? Because that they are afraid of aloneness. They get used to this life style several years, so depending on this rules, they can get out of safety. This is the social problem. When you have lost touch with reality, you will feel upset very much. So brooks chose commit suicide to end life. For him, hope has no meaning, and the institutionalized is a common phenomenon. So we should confirm our faith.3.3Take A Firm ConvictionFaith is an important thing in our life. Every one has the faith. We live in the world depend on our faith. In the film The Shawshank Redemption, Andy’s faith is his hope that is free. Taking a firm conviction is to save him in the dark prison. The phenomenon of degeneration and corruption is more serious than other ages. In order to fulfill their greediness, the jailers used their authorities unlawfully. So keeping your heart calm and pure is so difficult for every person. Faith is confidence or trust in a person or entity. Depending on the religion, faith is belief in a single god. Informal usage of faith can be quite board, and the faith is often used as a substitute for “hope”, “trust” or “belief”. (Zhen, 2007:93)IV The Best Interpretation of RedemptionRedemption in this movie has the new meaning. There is no doubt that anyone who is born will definitely die. The only difference is to get busy living or get busy dying. Everyone has the life once only. As long as they can keep on their faith and hope, and make their life wonderful, that is enough for every person. Andy‘s experience reflect the truth. Everyone makes mistake, and then they should auto criticism. Self-examination is a good way to improve ourselves. Self-examination just like self-redeem. So we should do the self-redeem moment. Someone think that redemption is opposite to hope, but in my opinion, they are unified each other.4.1The Original Meaning of RedemptionThe word redemption was originated from The Bible. In the bible, “Zion shall be redeemed with judgment and her converts with righteousness.”(Chen, 2009:76) “Redeem” is the basic doctrine of the Christianity. It refers to that if human beings always have the awe and faith, they will be saved by God from our sin. The Christianity thought that people is guilty when they were born. Human beings should confess in the reality life, and confirm the faith and finally they will get the redemption from God. The Christianity also is a life style. It is the reflection of values, ethics, and cultures, influencing the life of American. With development of industrialized society, people raise many questions about the capitalism and human nature and so on. In this dark world, people have to find their ways. So how to find it and where the way is the thing people concerned. Through this story, we can find the answer. What is redemption in the story? It refers to respect and faith. What will be redeemed? It is the freedom and hope. Redeem is a war. It is fight for hope and respect.4.2Andy’s Redemption in the ShawshankAndy’s redemption can be classified two parts. The first part is self-redemption. The first night in the prison is difficult to spend. When the jailer put you into the prison, and the iron bar was locked, you can feel it deeply. Your previous life will pass by, and nothing will be left. In the film, they said that many greenheads will cry at the first night, but Andy did not cry. Because he thought that did not belong here, it is judge’s fault. This belief supported him to move. Andy started his life in the prison.Although he was in prison, but his soul is free. All his efforts signified his faith. Afterwards, Andy got a dozen of beers for his work. When he drunk the beers with his friends, he smiled. We knew he was always free. Just like the poser, fear set you prisoner, hope set you free. So when he wrote letters to committees and insisted on it for six years, we can understand that how he held on his hope and he accomplished his self-redeem. The second part is the redemption for the shawshank prison. In the film, Andy is a redeemer. A strong man can redeem himself, and a great man can redeem other people. (Garraty, 1865:176)The shawshank prison has been changed from the beginning’s confusion and desperation. And now it is full of friendship, hope and faith, especially for Red and Tommy. Andy is a strong man even more a great man. Andy’s salvation also included the rebuilding of the library in the shawshank prison. Because of Andy’s helping, the shawshank prison had improved, and the life of prisoners had a great change. The most important thing is that they can feel the hope.V The Complementary Relationship Between Hope and Redemption To some extent, hope and redemption have no relationship. But in my opinion, hope and redeem is unity of oppositeness. Hope is the result of the redemption, and redeem is the foundation of the hope. People should treat its relationship properly. Andy used the self-redemption to accomplish the hope. Hope for Andy is a very meaningful thing, and he tried to his best to finish his redeems. And freedom is a good thing, but if you want to get free, you must hold on your dreams and do some self-redemptions. We should not abandon either of them. Hope makes you strong, and the redemption make you wise and calm. They complement each other. Do not give up the hope, and then you will free even if the situation is terrible.VI Hope and Redemption in Real LifeIn modern society, many people think that hope is so abstract, and most of people do not have the hope. Hope can not eat and cannot make me warm, so it is necessary for ours. Holding hope forever in desperation and reminding us to get busy living at any moment. Hope encourages people to fight to preserve the dignity ofhuman beings, to appreciate the beauty of life. No matter how hard it is, we should have confidence and hope. Only with hope and faith can we realize our dreams, and then can we save ourselves and get happiness. In our modern society, redeem is also very important, redemption can test ourselves gradually.6.1Hope on People's Practical SignificanceHope is a good thing. In the movie, we can learn from Andy. In modern society, hope is a bright sunshine for every person. Hope can light up our ways, and hope can let me free in mental. So no matter what your hope is, holding on it and never give up, and then you will get success. Hope is not an abstract thing, it is a real one. You want to live a comfortable life, and now your hope is good life. So you should study or work hard. If you want to be a scientist, you should read more books about the science, and do some experiences. Hope has its own meaning, and it should be reification. And then every person’s hope and dreams can come true. Hope plays very important role in our daily life.6.2Self Redemption in Modern Society.With the development of the society, the level of life of people has improved quickly, and the competitions become thrilling, so the pressure of working is bigger than before. So the mental health is a serious problem. Self-redemption is a behavior that examines ourselves and checks ourselves timely. (Rogers, 2003:206)This process is self-redeem. People who often do the self-examination can strengthen our mental lives, and it also can help us treat something calmly. Actually, shawshank is not just a story; it is actually in our reality life. People in the reality play a role of a person that in the shawshank prison, someone is Red, and someone is jailer. Most of people will become Brooks. Depending on the system, and then obey it all his or her life. Any organization or society is a microcosm of shawshank prison. The history of society moves on in the institutionalized. However, the redemption is our own choice. Like Andy, no matter how powerful of the system it is, we also have the right to choose the redemption. Redemption exists on our heart that the might cannot touch it. How to choose it is up to ourselves.VII ConclusionThis paper mainly talks about the hope and the redemption in the film The Shawshank Redemption, which is an intriguing movie, and full of symbolic meanings embodied in its rich images employed. It is in the hope that, in analyzing the symbolism of these images, this paper will be of great help for readers in appreciating the leading actor Andy. Though imprisoned in the Shawshank prison, Andy holds his hope firmly. With incredible perseverance, he struggles for freedom and redeems himself and others as well finally. It informs us of the most valuable thing in life: the existence of hope can ensure the freedom of spirit and then anything is possible for those who cherish the chance to pursue freedom. Hope is a good thing for Andy also for us. Andy’s hope is free, so he chose self-redeem. He wanted to go to Zihuatanejo, is a little place on the Pacific Ocean. There has no memory. It is a warm place with no memory, a beautiful hope. Hope can set you free. Redemption is a significant part in the film; it can be the complementary of another part hope. Hope can light up our ways, and hope can let me free in mental. “L ife has only two choices---get busy living or get busy dying.” (Frank, 2004:105)This is the most impressive word in the movie. It influenced me a lot. Everyone is able to be busy living, but not everyone can do that all the time. That is why a few people have brilliant life; while someone always struggle to get out of poverty. We often complain that God is unfair. But we forget that only we can save ourselves. We should give ourselves hope and remind ourselves to get busy living at any moment. To be honest, people like excitement. Movies about “redemption” are approached with great care. It shows what prison life is like at the time which may not be innovative because it has been done before. (3365words)ReferencesFrank, Darabont. The Shawshank Redemption: The World Movie, 2004(2). Garraty, John. The American Nation: A History of the United States since 1865: Signet, 2001.King, Stephen. Rita Hayworth and shawshank redemption. America: Signet, 1983. Rogers, Brubaker. Beyond comparativism:UCLA,2003(1).Rogers,Ebert. Great Movies:The Shawshank Redemption: Chicago Sun Times, 2010. Studs, Terkel. American Dreams: The New Press,1980.陈绍恋. 禁锢·希望·自由——解析《肖申克的救赎》意象. 衡水学院学报, 2009(03).陈颖. 解读《肖申克的救赎》的主题意义. 电影文学, 2010.7.斯蒂芬·金. 《肖申克的救赎》简体中文版:人民文学出版摄, 2006.7.王辉际. 让我们学会忘记——肖申克的救赎. 当代人, 2006(5).郑秀蕾. 对电影《肖申克的救赎》的叙事解读. 电影评介, 2007(05).AcknowledgementsFirst of all, I owe my earnest gratitude to my tutor, Ms.Liu Min. Ms.Liu give me much more help about this paper. It contents unstinting criticisms and valuable guidance. And I should express my thanks to her caring and supportive, which therefore helps broaden and enrich my knowledge in the course of academic paper writing.Secondly, special thanks will go to all the teachers who taught me during my four years of college life.At last, I am indebted to all my friends and classmates who constantly offer their concern, expectation and suggestion to me, thanks very much for all yours.。