Stripped (Symbol)
As Andy and the other new inmates are brought into prison they are stripped bare naked. This symbolizes the fact that they are being stripped of their free identities and being forced to give their bodies over to the state. The image of the naked prisoners symbolizes the fact that as prisoners, the men no longer have any autonomy over their own personhood and are being demoralized by the authoritarian structures of incarceration.
Brooks' Bird (Symbol)
In the beginning of the film we meet Brooks Hatlen, an older inmate, with a young bird tucked away in his sweater. He loves animals and takes care of the bird as if it were a child. The bird represents Brooks' nurturing spirit, but it is also a symbol of the push-pull between freedom and confinement. A bird typically flies and symbolizes a will to be free, but here we see a bird that has taken to the confinement of a prison and the protection of a keeper. The bird is an extension of Brooks' own relationship to the prison; even though the prison is a structure that oppresses and suppresses him, he also becomes attached to the way it provides shelter and purpose for his life.
Rock Hammer (Symbol)
Early on in the film, Andy asks Red for a rock hammer. It is a tiny hammer used for shaping stones, and Andy assures Red that he wants to use it to carve stones. In truth, he is using it to slowly dig a hole out of the prison over a number of years. The hammer symbolizes Andy's commitment to the long journey, his quiet and unassuming attitude towards hard work. While it is a small hammer, and hardly suitable for the task, Andy is patient and meticulous enough to use it to his advantage, and so it comes to symbolize his determination and unflappable spirit.
Art (Motif)
In prison, the men are completely deprived of freedom and autonomy, forced to give their bodies over to the state. Throughout their time in prison, their various interactions with artwork help them to feel free, in that art engages their imaginations. When we first see them watching the film Gilda, the men are enraptured by the beauty of Rita Hayworth, allowed to suspend the difficulties of incarceration and bask in the pleasure of a beautiful actress. Then later, Andy finds an opera record and plays it over the loudspeaker, which has the similar effect of suspension. We see all the prisoners listening intently to the beautiful music, which Red tells us allows the men to feel free—if just for a moment. Art serves as a way of escaping from the doldrums of prison life and finding some pleasure in an otherwise barren existence.
Mexico & the Pacific (Symbol)
Towards the end of the film, Andy tells Red that his one true dream is to go to Mexico and live in a beach community on the Pacific. He describes the Pacific to Red thus: "They say it has no memory. That's where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory." To Andy, Mexico symbolizes the ability to start fresh; it is the ultimate freedom, and the chance to make a new life where his sullied reputation will not follow him. In this way, Mexico and the Pacific are a kind of utopian ideal, a representation of some kind of heavenly suspension where one can leave the unforgiving real world behind and just be.
