Andy DuFresne: An Existential Hero

Throughout the duration of the movie, Andy is punished on multiple occasions by the warden and/or the guards with extended periods of time "in the hole", otherwise known as solitary confinement. One of the constants when this occurs is that whenever he is sentenced to such cruelty, it is always taking the hard road and fighting for what he believes in. A perfect example of this is when he is provided with evidence from another inmate that he was actually framed, and is merely a victim of circumstance, rather than guilty of killing his wife and her lover, he immediately confronts the warden with this evidence. Despite his proof, the warden rejects the notion and even refuses Andy the opportunity for a fair trial, because of all the secrets Andy knows about him. Instead of simply surrendering to his situation, Andy demonstrates his man-ness and willingness to take the hard road by continuing to plead his case by engaging in a verbal altercation with the warde and never truly accepts defeat.

Money Laundering and Financial Services

Despite the fact that the way they handle money and bribes at Shawshank are obviously illegal activities, the money laundering that Andy does for the Warden, along with the financial services he offers to the guards, symbolizes Andy's internal desperation for a sense of his old life as a banker, as well as his dreams for the future. On that note, it provides him with the methods to escape the prison and make his way to Mexico where he has an opportunity to live out his plan to fix up a little boat and open up a hotel, thus demonstrating his outstanding self-determination skills through his ability to do anything it takes to make his plans become his own personal reality.

The Posters

The Rock Sculptures and Andy's Nonchalance

Solitary Confinement and Confrontations of the Warden

The Library

Throughout the duration of the movie, the posters in Andy's jail cell serve as symbols for Andy's everlasting sense of hope, despite any hardships he encounters. They also symbolize the outside world and it's sense of normalcy, compared to that of life in prison for Andy. The poster of Rita Hayworth also literally represents the hope to escape and achieve a real life once again, as it is actually hiding the hole in his cell that allowed him to escape. Finally, they serve as symbols for Andy's authenticity in that he preferred to preserve that sense of hope within himself, rather than submit to the fact that he has been wrongly punished and wallow in despair along with the other inmates.

From near the beginning of the movie, Andy carved chess pieces of stone as a hobby. Despite any outside appearances that say that this is just a mind-numbing way of keeping himself busy, it is really one of the ways that demonstrate Andy's acceptance of the absurdity of the prison's securiy system in that he is permitted to keep a method of escape in his cell, as long as there is physical evidence of something perfectly legal. Another way that shows Andy's acceptance of the situation is his outstanding nonchalance about how badly he has been mistreated by the criminal justice system. Unlike many of the other prisoners, Andy never complains about his situation and never seeks pity from his peers. He continually diverts the situation when the subject arises and never allows the absurdity take hold of his life, rather, he comes to terms with it early, and is then able to successfully overcome it by staying sane throughout his time at Shawshank.

Andy's project to greatly upgrade the prison's library is certainly interesting, due to it's many layers. While it was originally a prime symbol of Andy's self-determination, as he sent weekly and bi-weekly letters to congress for years for his vision to become a reality, the library eventually came to serve as a location where Andy's meaning within himself would be found. Andy was able to find his inner meaning by being able to assist in multiple inmates getting their high school diplomas and, therefore, being able to better their lives once they returned to the outside world.

Symbols

Motifs

Through the development of symbols and motifs throughout the movie, Andy DuFresne is shown to possess a variety of qualities that are essential for one to be considered a true existential hero. These qualities are a constant within his character and truly set him apart from the other inmates.

Andy DuFresne: An Existential Hero

By: Web Johnson Block H