What story did The Shawshank Redemption tell?

The synopsis of The Shawshank Redemption is as follows:

The story happened in 1947. Andy, a banker, was taken to court as the murderer of his wife and lover on a frustrated late night. The unfaithfulness of his wife, the treachery of lawyers, the misjudgment of judges, the cruelty of prison guards and the greed and meanness of the warden pushed Andy, who is in his thirties, from the peak of his life to hell on earth. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the impregnable Sharkburg prison.

Seeing the corruption in prison, he knew that it was difficult to get his innocence back, and only escaping from prison was the only way to live. So he began to carry out his plan in secret. In prison, he got to know Lei, a criminal who specializes in black market trading, and got the Bible and some of the most humble things from Lei. At the same time, he insisted on continuous letters and visits for nearly ten years and established the best prison library in the United States for Sharkburg Prison. He also selflessly counseled and helped many prisoners to obtain the same academic qualifications, so that they could continue their studies in prison and lay the foundation for regaining their freedom and stepping into society in the future.

Andy is a symbol of dignity in the hearts of all prisoners, and his talent, intelligence and personality charm have won him the sincere friendship of Lei. And his expertise in finance has made him a right-hand man for prison guards and even a personal financial assistant for the warden. This treatment made Andy's escape plan possible.

When a young thief told Andy that he met the real murderer who killed Andy's wife and lover in another prison, Andy could no longer restrain his feelings. He hopes that the warden can help him settle his grievances and get justice. Who knows, the warden decided not to let Andy return to the world because Andy knew the inside story of his corruption and bribery. He killed the young thief in cold blood and put Andy in a black prison.

Endless Andy finally escaped from prison and was free on a thunderous night. When the warden opened Andy's cell door the next day, he found that he had disappeared. The warden, who had a premonition that the end was coming, committed suicide after the prosecutor received the warden's evidence from Andy.

The name of The Shawshank Redemption is also symbolic. Shawshank symbolizes darkness and evil, and the word redemption comes from Isaiah in the Old Testament, which symbolizes the practice of Christian thought. It is worth thinking that the characters in the novel do not regard "religion as the foundation of social life" like early American immigrants, and of course they do not practice any religion. Andy, the hero, did not wait for God's redemption, but saved himself by insisting on good humanity, won freedom and achieved rebirth.

In fact, with the lack of western social beliefs in the 20th century, humanism replaced theism, and the word seems to have become less popular. Many American writers have long noticed that "material money is a corrosive agent, and industrial technology is the source of depriving humanity". Andy, an "alternative" figure in Stephen King's works, has worked hard in Shawshank Prison for decades, which is by no means a redemption in general Christian doctrine. Salvation here seems to be more suitable for quotation marks, expressing more meanings, and seeing the author's deep concern and thinking about many problems of current society and modern human nature.

The novel The Shawshank Redemption illustrates the true meaning of hope and freedom. It can be said that if Andy in the story gives up hope, he will not be free. It is not difficult to see from the plot of the novel that hope leads to action. Not only Andy, the protagonist, but also Rhett in the story found light and hope through Andy's gift, and finally gained freedom through hope.

Although hope and freedom are two words with different meanings, there is a causal relationship in the novel. "Hope" is the truest fantasy, hope, expectation and longing in the heart to achieve a certain purpose or a certain situation. Because Andy has hope, he can make a series of redemptions to save himself. Freedom in the story is the realization of hope.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia-The Shawshank Redemption