Introduction
The movie The Shawshank Redemption tells a story of prison life. It shows the many troubles and tribulations that are associated with life in general. It also highlights emancipation through hope. The story told in the film focuses on the experiences of Andy Dufresne. Dufresne comes meets Red in prison. His new friend brings a lot of changes to his life. Red is regarded as a prison entrepreneur. As a result of hardships in prison and Dufresne’s escape, Red becomes a new man. He had initially lost hope in life and had become used to prison life (The Shawshank Redemption). He changes into an optimistic person with a purpose in life. He undergoes his form of Shawshank emancipation. The film contains several themes. They include hope, comradeship, and loyalty. Hope appears to be the only thing that cannot be taken away from an individual by another. Another major theme in the movie is entrepreneurship. In this paper, an analysis of three characters portraying entrepreneurial traits is conducted.
Ellis Boyd “Red”: The Penitentiary Entrepreneur
Red can be regarded as a prison entrepreneur. He possesses the three characteristics of comradeship, trust, and hope (The Shawshank Redemption). These traits help him a lot in his business. He is the persona in this fascinating tale of escape. He is telling his story to Andy. He introduces Andy to the business of making chess pieces within the prison. He later promotes him (Andy) and offers him a more influential position. He is a man with a very strong personality. He finds hope where there is none. Due to his business skills, he finds a new ally in Andy. He influences his friend’s views towards life and shows him that he can make a living behind prison walls by engaging in business.
Andy Dufresne: The Converted Entrepreneur
Dufresne is a complex character in the movie. He is introduced to prison entrepreneurship by Red. His personality changes significantly throughout the movie as he engages in business. He becomes optimistic and learns how to improve his life. His contact with Red restored his faith, which helped him later in life. Despite his busy business schedule, he gets time to interact with his colleagues. He narrates to them the story of how he was falsely accused of killing. Even though Andy Dufresne is the main character in the movie, his personality is brought out by his interactions with other inmates. For example, his entrepreneurial skills shine through when he comes into contact with Red.
Warden Samuel Norton: The Scoundrel
In the movie, warden Samuel Norton is depicted as a scoundrel. He is not what he appears to be. While other characters are honest with each other, Norton is a traitor. He enjoys and cherishes life in jail. The life he enjoys is a wretched routine of bad food and miserable surroundings.
He is an unscrupulous entrepreneur who leads a covert life of robbery, murder, and dishonesty. His entrepreneurial skills are characterized by abuse of power and greed. He struggles to maintain an outward appearance of a virtuous, religious, and strong citizen. Shortly after Andy’s imprisonment, he starts taking advantage of penitentiary labor and civic works. Consequently, he makes profits by reducing expenditure on skilled labor and keeping the rest of the money to himself. As a result of his greed and selfishness, he does anything to benefit himself.
Conclusion
The three characters analyzed in this paper have adapted to life in prison. They gain entrepreneurial skills to survive. Despite the challenges associated with prison life, each of the three characters appears to lead a normal and satisfying life. They portray traits of optimism and honesty.
Works Cited
The Shawshank Redemption. Ex. Prod. Niki Marvin. New York: Columbia Pictures. 1994. DVD.