Character Analysis of Andy in the Shawshank Redemption

Have you ever read a story or seen a movie that gets you into thinking since it brings a powerful message? Those types of movies easily become one’s favorite since they display life lessons that we can apply to ourselves and others. Shawshank Redemption discuss about never losing hope and leaving your comfort zone.

Andy is a character who maintains a steady hope throughout his time in prison, even though he was given two life sentenced for a crime he did not committed.

He got convicted only because he was at a place at the wrong time and carrying the wrong things. Even though he was locked in, he never gave up hope despite where he was nor what was happening to him. During his prison days, dedicated his lifetime to spread hope and good will among his companions. He also builds up an improved library and helped them get an education they never received before. Because of this action, this allowed him to convey hope to every other prisoner at the Shawshank prison.

Ever since Andy came to the prison, he never lost his hope to attain his freedom back even if he had to stay in there for almost two decades. Andy did quite number of things that other didn’t think that it would be possible, like the library, cold beers for the boys, making the “sisters” disappear because of the deal he made with Captain Hadley. Ever since that time, he gained the trust from the after helping them with their taxes and some other stuff.

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Since he was doing that kind of things, he later gained the trust from the warden and the warden decided to create the ‘inside-out program’. where inmates leave the prison to work on public service projects, such as the building of roads and some other “community services”. Because of this program, Andy was forced to do illegal activities for the warden since he was gaining illegal profit from the “community services” the prisoner was made to perform.

Until this point of his life, he still hasn’t given up his motivation for freedom, so he did whatever he needed to do in order to achieve his goal. Even if he had to become the guard’s slave, he never gave up his hope he had when he arrived at the prison. Ever since Andy came, he refused to let the Shawshank atmosphere ruined his proud and thoughtful spirit. Although, his compassionate personality managed to manifest even within the infamously cruel prison walls. Which cause other inmates to change, like his best friend, Red. He befriended Red since the beginning of his life sentence.

Anyways, because of his determination and meticulousness, he was able to dig up a secret tunnel in his cell with the thing that Red was able to smuggle in. He always believes that one day, he would be outside living his life like a normal person and he kept believing that till the day he escaped Shawshank. Andy ultimately is the symbolic figure that hope never dies, and that we should hold, since hope can become a motivation to move forward during hard times.