"A man named Andrew Dufresne is wrongly accused and sentence to jail for the murder of his wife and her husband. In the outside world he was an innocent man...he had to come to jail to become a crook."
Mellie, Resident Scholar
"Imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, Andy Dufresne spends a quarter of a century confined to the less than accommodating quarters of Shawshank Prison. He cannot prove his innocence because no one will listen, so he spends that time constructively. With the aid of a small rock hammer and a pin-up picture of the actress, Rita Hayworth, Andy Dufresne attempts to do something which has been done seldom if ever--escape from Shawshank!"
Bill Brumlow, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of Shawshank Redemption
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Somewhat obvious
- Very obvious
Time/era of story:
- 1960's-1970's
- 1930's-1950's
Disaster, natural or nuclear
Yes
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- accused criminal
Age:
- 20's-30's
- long lived adults
Eccentric/Mental:
Yes
Eccentric:
- eccentric
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
- an organization
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
- throughout most of the book.
Motive of antagonist
- power
The antagonists are:
- government bureaucracy
- evil politicians
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Misc setting
- prison
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- touching of anatomy
- actual description of sex
Unusual forms of death
- hanging
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- mostly dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
