Sociological View of Shawshank Redemption essays

Sociological View of Shawshank Redemption essays When a book industry addresses sociological concerns, it sometimes presents an incomplete and unfamiliar image. This is not to say that these industries, which deal with sociology, always misinterpret substantive matters, however, many do not present all the issues. In particular, books that deal with prisons often disregard the human factor housed within. To a certain extent, they may ignore specific factors because some would be uninterested in a book that offers the premise that convicts who spend their lives in prison loose their humanity and hope. The Shawshank Redemption is the exception. The story portrays a prison as an institution which does nothing more than store individuals. Similarly, several sociological themes are addressed in the book, such as, rehabilitation and reintegration. This work briefly analyzes the book, while focusing specifically on the substantive aspects in terms of sociology. The Shawshank Redemption opens in 1947, as banker Andy Durfresne is being wrongly convicted and punished with a double life sentence for the murder of his wife and her lover. He is incarcerated in Maines Shawshank prison facility where his distant and slightly superior manner prevents good relations with the guards and his fellow convicts. However, Andy gradually develops a friendship with a well-respected lifer named Ellis Red Redding, the prisons self-proclaimed Sears and Roebuck who is known to locate certain items from time to time. He also gets on the better side of Shawshanks Bible-thumping warden by doing some financial consulting, but Andy is not merely a stooge for the warden and his goons. As a smart man, he is constantly working towards his ultimate goal of getting out of prison one way or another. His methods win him many friends and admirers in prison, but it is the friendship of Red that he values most. After thirty long years behind bar...