Receiving Redemption: The Transformative Power of Hope Anonymous College

The 1994 movie Shawshank Redemption directed by Frank Darabont tells the familiar tale of Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, a successful investment banker turned convicted felon who must spend the rest of his days at Shawshank Prison for murdering his wife and her lover. Shawshank Redemption, based on a short story written by Stephen King, captures the hearts of American audiences and audiences worldwide because it does more than exist as a prison film. It highlights and puts narrative to the emotions and sentiments common to all humanity. Among all the myths that Shawshank Redemption presents, the power of hope in maintaining the soul during trials and tribulations is the myth that propels the entire script forward.[1]

This paper will argue that all aspects of this movie revolve around the myth of hope as the strongest characteristic of the human soul. The myth of hope and the resiliency of the human spirit directly correlates to the Greek myth surrounding the appearance of all the evils in the world. The myth of Pandora’s box feeds directly into the myth of hope presented in the movie. Furthermore, key cinematic scenes within Shawshank Redemption help to convey to the audience the resiliency of the human soul. Lastly,...