Conflict theory could view the prison in two ways; as an institution that mirrors an

already existing tension between a prisoner class and a guard class, or as a

metaphor economic inequality. I don’t think either is right. With respect to the
former, there aren’t fundamental differences in the way the two classes behave.
Both inmates and guards are brutal towards each other, both stick together, and
both look for individual opportunities to advance. The only difference between
them is who has the power within the prison; outside of the existing environment
of the prison, they would behave roughly the same.
Regarding the possible metaphor of economic equality, this seems the more likely
of the two. There is a distinct difference between the guards and the inmates in
how they treat their peers. The movie challenges the stereotype of everyone in jail
being vicious, but the fact remains that the guards do not need to fight amongst
themselves to survive, whereas the inmates do. The inmates battle for their lives as
if the only way to stay alive is to get ahead of all the other inmates and stay there,
somehow. This is eerily reminiscent of the climate in South American cultures
during periods of lower-class political apathy: the rich help each other stay that
way, and the poor fight amongst each other desperately to get out of the slums.
This parallel also makes sense when you see the violence against the “lower” class
by the “upper”, such as the beatings, random cell searches, and neglect. In the
movie it becomes apparent that some of the inmates can no longer even stand an
equal system. One inmate is released, but has grown so used to the easy, stationary
stability of the brutal prison that he cannot handle the free, open outdoors, and
commits suicide. The main character’s best friend, Red, calls this being
“institutionalized”. The walls, “At first you hate them, then you get used to them.
Eventually, you depend on them”, provide a reason for rigidity. This, also, is seen
in poverty stricken societies, where the poor are reluctant to act on their desires for
upward mobility because it risks all they have gained at such high cost; the inmates
were reluctant to leave the prison because it was what they had gotten used to; it
had socialized them in a manner almost completely incompatible with the outside
world.

The most realistic view of the prison, given the humanistic quality of the movie,
would be that of Symbolic Interaction. Someone subscribing to this view could
view the prison as a melting pot, as it were, of people, all of varying degrees of
power within the system that had developed. The brutality of the guards would be
seen as their attempts to retain their superior position over the inmates. The
brutality of the inmates would, just as in Conflict theory, would be seen as their
attempts to solidify not a position of power, per se, but a position in which they can
survive.
However, what attracts me most to this view is the interaction between the inmates
and the guards that transcended power. Each character seemed to have threads that
tied them inextricably to other characters, which they strengthened or tried to
break, depending on the nature of the connection. Many of these had little to do
with power, or social comfort, but much to do with feeling human: many of the
most integral moments of the plot, such as when Andy offered financial advice to a
guard in exchange for some beer for his work crew, weren’t motivated by the
desire for advancement, but instead out of the desire to strengthen relationships.
Red, who narrated the movie, even said that although it had seemed to some that
Andy had done what he did to curry favors with the guards and the inmates, he
thought Andy did it just to feel human.
While Symbolic Interaction best explains the behavior of the characters in the
movie, all of these views are best at describing the existence of one or more
different factors of the movie. One could not have a complete view of the
Shawshank Redemption without looking beyond one perspective and gaining a
three dimensional image of the forces at work. That, in essence, is the weakness
with any one perspective: there is always another side to something (especially
societal institutions and functions) than the one you’re looking at.

Here's the 3 Theoretical Perspectives

1) Structural Functionalist
2) Social Conflict
3) Symbolic Interactionist
Symbolic interactionists as it focusses on the justice for one man and his
persistence to get his own justice it shows us the whole justice system just by
focussing on one man and being on his side against the system
 In society, one of the most popular forms of punishment for deviant

individuals who commit criminal acts is to send them to a correctional facility.

Although the rest of society has rejected this person as a result of this behavior - in

a restricted setting like prison - people begin to adapt to their surroundings.

Inevitably, the longer one stays in this setting, the more institutionalized people

become. Criminals will soon readily accept their status as a prisoner as well as

establish a new identity within this community. In the film Shawshank

Redemption, this is further explored as it follows several characters who spend a

significant amount of time being incarcerated. Through their time in jail, they learn

to adapt to to their surroundings and essentially create a society in which they are

functioning and important members. However, as the incarcerated band together,

those who are in charge of them may abuse their power in an attempt to further

demoralize the prisoners and increase their own personal and economic gain. By

attempting to understand sociological theories such as Functionalism and the

Conflict Theory, one can better understand the rationale for some of the behaviors

shown by the characters as portrayed in Shawshank Redemption.

The ability to feel like an active member of a society offers fulfillment not only to

the person initiating their role in society, but also to others around them. Without

the ability to feel like a productive member of society, an individual will feel

without purpose and in turn strive to find a way to achieve an accepted role within

their community. This desire to be a functioning member of a society is explored in

the Functionalism theory. Functionalism can be described as the interdependence

of several different aspects of society to create a place where one's individual needs

are met. Moreover, while a society has several different parts that make each

section unique, it is also vital that all of these pieces coincide to create a stable and

homoegenous unit.

With one piece of society out of order, the rest will follow suit and gradually

disintegrate until equilibrium is reestablished. Because of the sensitive

infrastructures of civilzation, individuals looking to integrate into their respective

community will try to find their niche and use it to establish important roles so they

can become an essential part of their surroundings.

In a more restrictive setting like prison, it is more difficult to establish the same

homogeneity because the individuals that make up that society are individuals who

have already disrupted the civility in mainstream. Moreover, in Shawshank

Redemption, two characters, Red and Brooks, learn to integrate themselves into the
Prison community and create a sense of equilibrium without completely disrupting

their already uncertain environment.

The character Red in Shawshank Redemption utilizes his ability to network as well

as his rapport with other prisoners to become a staple within the prison community.

Known as "the guy to go to when you need something", Red establishes himself as

a respected member of this society and, in turn, offers stability to the rest of the

prison population by offering his services to individuals in efforts to create a more

comfortable and consistent environment. Although it is clear that some of the

objects Red obtains for his fellow inmates are unacceptable - for example, the

posters of popular female actresses he secures over the years for Andy Dufresne -

it is generally accepted by other members of the prison population as to not throw

off the normalcy amongst the other inmates throughout Shawshank.

Brooks also represented the key points of functionalism. Brooks, an older prisoner

who had spent a majority of his life in prison, also had become a functioning

member of Shawshank. He was solely in charge of maintaining the Prison library

and rarely was his respected role as the librarian challenged by either the prison

population or the employees. More interesting, however, was that while the prison

essentially relied on Brooks to provide a service for them, Brooks also relied on the
prison environment. After being institutionlized for a number of years, Brooks

adapted to life as a prisoner and, eventually, being a prisoner was the only role he

knew. Further, his status allowed him to feel fulfillment within the confined and

depressing conditions in which he lived. However, once he was released into the

free world, Brooks lost his function and importance. Upon returning to mainstream

society, he had to reconfigure his mind frame to one in which he had not known for

a decades. As his fulfillment waned, so did his function. Unfortunately, he

inevitably committed suicide because he could not find the same equilibrium he

had felt for so long in prison. Both Brooks and Red exemplified how, in

Functionalism, several different parts make up a society and have a function that

adds to its stability. Additionally, because of the purpose they served, they also felt

a sense of fulfillment because of their ability to have an impact on the rest of the

prison population.

Another sociological theory that can be used to explain society's infrastructure is

the Conflict Theory. Conflict Theory suggests that, within a society, groups are in

constant struggle amongst each other. Further, the group that asserts power will

inevitably find ways to diminish other groups who the dominant group sees as a

threat. If one bases his/her place based solely on the principles of Conflict Theory,

one may feel that they have not had the same opportunities for advancement and
success as those who are a part of the majority.

Karl Marx, an influential theorist, argued the Conflict Theory even further by

suggesting that, as a result of this societal struggle, social hierarchies inevitably

develop that further contain individuals to stay in their current social positions. In

Shawshank Redemption, this theory can be tested by observing the relationship

between the prison warden and Andy Dufresne.

One of the subplots of the film is the prison warden's mistreatment of prisoners and

the subpar conditions the inmates endure while at Shawshank. There are several

instances in the film where the prison warder or a member of his staff is seen

verbally or physically abusing one of the inmates in an attempt to assert his power

over the inmates. In these overt instances, violence is used by the dominant group

to establish their control over the inmates and discourage them of their ability to

see themselves as anything more than a rejected member of mainstream society.

This assertion of power becomes vague once Andy Dufresne establishes himself

amongst the prison employees as an intelligent and resourceful individual who

could in fact benefit their lives outside of prison life. Dufresne, who was wrongly

accused of killing his wife and her lover, introduces his accounting skills to the
prison guards in an intense argument where Dufresene, without provocation,

initiates a conversation with a guard to inform him of how he can avoid paying

taxes on a lump sum of money he will be receiving. Initially, the guard attempts to

demoralize Dufrense by establishing his position over him; however, once he

realizes that Dufresne can actually assist him, he allows him to offer his expertise.

After this interaction, Dufresne becomes an important financial asset to the prison

community and inevitably takes charge of the Prison Warden's finances as he

attempts to hide his financial scams.

As Dufresne becomes more and more involved in handling these funds, his role as

solely a prisoner is diminished and the Warden's control over Dufresne becomes

less and less significant. While he attempts to establish his authority over him by

making him spend significant amounts of time in solitary confinement, he

essentially begins using excessive punishment as a means of covering up his own

inner conflict. Once Andy escapes from prison and uncovers the Warden's scandal

to the public, not only does he ruin the stability of the prison, but he also exerts his

own power over the Warden which inevitably ends in the death of the warden.

Within the prison, brute force was often used to enforce the prison hierarchy in

which the prisoners fell at the very bottom. However, Andy Dufresne not only

challenged the Functionalism theory within the prison by establishing a position in

the community and offering homogeneity to the warden and his employees and

inevitably turning against it, but he also challenged the Conflict Theory by

relinquishing control over his destiny and succeeding despite the Prison's

oppressive conditions.

Durkheim talks about anomie, fatalism, mechanical and organic solidarity,

yet the theories end up saying the same thing. He argues that a society needs a

form of regulation but it cannot be too much or too little of regulation because it

causes anomie/fatalism. All of these theories could be somehow tied together if

the right example used. To start, anomie is viewed as a form of a society without

norms or structure in a moment of time. In a certain situation, people would feel

alienated by society and would not feel a part of the organized structure of society

anymore. They would feel confused because at that moment, too much freedom

can cause people to not know what to do with their lives and the same goes as too

much control. This is why, Durkheim argues that a society needs solidarity to

maintain a balance for society and individuals. In the article, Divison of Labour,

Crime and Punishment, it explains that there two different types of solidarity,

mechanical and organic. Mechanical solidarity is seen as a society that has a

similar interest and have a small gap of division labor. This solidarity usually cares

about the group and the relationship with each individual is very personal. Mostly
everyone in the group have limited social roles too. One example of this would be

small towns or small high school where every students or person know each other

and have the group stronger, stable and help all members. As for organic solidarity,

it is actually quite the opposite in its own way. This solidarity is a group that is big

on division of labor which means everyone has their own work position and no one

shares the same responsibilities for the group. A group that is organic is less

personal with each member, and looks at each other’s position and statue to see if

they are a benefit to them or not. Finally, independence is very important for an

organic solidarity to work. So, when there is too much regulation which the

society, then that is called fatalism. This is why, mechanical and organic solidarity

need some sort of balance of regulation because people wouldn’t know what to do

and there may be chaos. One example that fits all Durkheim’s theories is the

movie, Shawshank Redemption, because the setting of the film is in a prison that

has both an organic and mechanical solidarity depending on how a person looks at

the film. There are two characters who are prisoners who felt very afraid going to

jail. Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding and Brooks Hatlen are two characters who were

comfortable with their environment but then were moved to prison cell which is

known to be a fatalism setting because of all the overwhelming regulation. With

time, the jail become their own reality. Red and Hatle felt that the jail society was

their home. For example, Hatlen was the librarian. Due to his position, everyone
knew him and needed him for books. As for Red, he knew how to get items that

prisoners needed from the outside jail walls. They were known for their status and

roles, which means that depending on how someone saw the jail culture, it was

both an organic and mechanical solidarity. It was an organic solidarity because the

prisoners and prison guards had a division labor between them. Both groups were

less personal and sometimes the prisoners kept to themselves. Yet again, The

prisoners all had to help one another because they all relied on each other. When

both Red and Hatlen were taken out of their comfort zone, which was jail, and was

put back to society, they were very nervous because to them it was very anomie.

They had no regulation and it was too much for them to handle. Hatlen committed

suicide because he missed being in a society that had regulation and Red,

contemplated the same thing because jail was his home. All society needs some

type of regulation to keep society in order, because if there isn’t, then that can

create chaos for people and their environment.

Transcript of The Shawshank Redemption via Functionalism

Sanctions
These norms and values are upheld by sanctions, both by the prisoners and by the
violence of the guards:

Degradation ceremonies establish new inmates as inferior.

Violence by the guards enforces their power over the prisoners and "keeps them in
line"
When prisoners act in such a way that these techniques fail, they are sent to
solitary confinement , which enforces their isolation and works to break their spirit,
reinforcing the prisoners' lack of power and encouraging them to abide by the
norms of the prison
Values
In Shawshank Prison, the inmates and guards value:
special skills:
Red is the man who "can get things" and thus has higher status
Andy's financial background is valued by the Warden and the guards
Seniority
Both Red and Brooks have high status due to their seniority at the prison
Defined roles
Both the guards and the prisoners expect their roles to be defined so that their
expectations are clear.
Deference to established norms
If a prisoner acts in an unexpected way, it upsets the balance of power in the prison
The Warden values both deference, violence, and religion, and expects the inmates
to respect the same.(see photo).
The Shawshank Redemption via Functionalism
Functionalism
noun. Theoretical perspective that assumes that society consists of different but
related parts that combine to form a stable, ordered environment
Andy's effect
Andy's own sets of norms and values change the prison environment, upsetting the
institution's balance. His actions reinstall hope and humanity to the prison,
challenging the norms of the prison environment.
In Shawshank Prison, the system created by the institution's complex series of
norms, values, and sanctions maintained an unjust but stable environment. In this
way, the prison is a functional environment. When Andy DuFresne defied these
norms, the prison environment became unbalanced.
Habitual sexual abuse of fellow inmates with lesser status
The use of cigarettes as money
Betting on which new inmates will cry first as a way to dissociate from their fear
"Fishing" for newcomers on their first night
The tendency of prisoners to break parole and come back to prison
harsh but reliable sets of rules, such as the morning "routine"
Norms
Values: "I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both.
Put your trust in the Lord; your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank."
Sanctions: The Warden to Andy after his month in solitary: "Give him another
month to think about it"
"We sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders and felt like free men. Hell, we
could have been tarring the roof of one of our own houses. We were the lords of all
creation. "
Hope and Humanity
"I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place
dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and
made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in
Shawshank felt free. "

Conflict theory could view the prison in two ways; as an institution that

mirrors an already existing tension between a prisoner class and a guard class, or as

a metaphor economic inequality. I don’t think either is right. With respect to the

former, there aren’t fundamental differences in the way the two classes behave.

Both inmates and guards are brutal towards each other, both stick together, and

both look for individual opportunities to advance. The only difference between

them is who has the power within the prison; outside of the existing environment

of the prison, they would behave roughly the same.

Regarding the possible metaphor of economic equality, this seems the more

likely of the two. There is a distinct difference between the guards and the inmates
in how they treat their peers. The movie challenges the stereotype of everyone in

jail being vicious, but the fact remains that the guards do not need to fight amongst

themselves to survive, whereas the inmates do. The inmates battle for their lives as

if the only way to stay alive is to get ahead of all the other inmates and stay there,

somehow. This is eerily reminiscent of the climate in South American cultures

during periods of lower-class political apathy: the rich help each other stay that

way, and the poor fight amongst each other desperately to get out of the slums.

This parallel also makes sense when you see the violence against the “lower” class

by the “upper”, such as the beatings, random cell searches, and neglect. In the

movie it becomes apparent that some of the inmates can no longer even stand an

equal system. One inmate is released, but has grown so used to the easy, stationary

stability of the brutal prison that he cannot handle the free, open outdoors, and

commits suicide. The main character’s best friend, Red, calls this being

“institutionalized”. The walls, “At first you hate them, then you get used to them.

Eventually, you depend on them”, provide a reason for rigidity. This, also, is seen

in poverty stricken societies, where the poor are reluctant to act on their desires for

upward mobility because it risks all they have gained at such high cost; the inmates

were reluctant to leave the prison because it was what they had gotten used to; it

had socialized them in a manner almost completely incompatible with the outside

world.
 Structional Functionalism, also, could view this movie from a variety of

angles. It could argue that the inmates are in prison, and being treated as sub-

human, partially because they were sub-human; convicted felons, it is popularly

perceived, have fewer rights than law-abiding citizens, or none at all. In a sense,

this would be saying that the prison, and all the bad things in it, exists because of

the need for a societal retribution to criminals, in order to provide a living example

to people of what happens to law-breakers. The brutality of the prison, in other

words, is necessary as a deterrent to crime; the few must be abused so the many do

not abuse, sort of thing.

Alternately, a structural functionalist could see separation of classes within

the prison as a necessary, or at least effective, way of keeping order. If, for

example, there was no “discipline” in the prison, there would most likely be a riot

due to the aggressive and unruly nature of the inmates. If there was a riot, there

would be much suffering on behalf of the guards, possibly some suffering on

behalf of the people nearby the prison, and definitely a large amount of suffering

on the parts of the inmates, after the national guard got called in, or whatnot.

Again, being habitually brutal is a way of keeping people alive, or at least keeping

the majority of them alive.

The most realistic view of the prison, given the humanistic quality of the

movie, would be that of Symbolic Interaction. Someone subscribing to this view

could view the prison as a melting pot, as it were, of people, all of varying degrees

of power within the system that had developed. The brutality of the guards would

be seen as their attempts to retain their superior position over the inmates. The

brutality of the inmates would, just as in Conflict theory, would be seen as their

attempts to solidify not a position of power, per se, but a position in which they can

survive.

However, what attracts me most to this view is the interaction between the

inmates and the guards that transcended power. Each character seemed to have

threads that tied them inextricably to other characters, which they strengthened or

tried to break, depending on the nature of the connection. Many of these had little

to do with power, or social comfort, but much to do with feeling human: many of

the most integral moments of the plot, such as when Andy offered financial advice

to a guard in exchange for some beer for his work crew, weren’t motivated by the

desire for advancement, but instead out of the desire to strengthen relationships.

Red, who narrated the movie, even said that although it had seemed to some that

Andy had done what he did to curry favors with the guards and the inmates, he

thought Andy did it just to feel human.

While Symbolic Interaction best explains the behavior of the characters in

the movie, all of these views are best at describing the existence of one or more

different factors of the movie. One could not have a complete view of the
Shawshank Redemption without looking beyond one perspective and gaining a

three dimensional image of the forces at work. That, in essence, is the weakness

with any one perspective: there is always another side to something (especially

societal institutions and functions) than the one you’re looking at.

The movie gives an insider’s look at various aspects of prison life. These
characteristics include prison culture; specifically guard subculture and inmate
subculture. The movie also shows prison adjustment, as initiation, prisonization or
institutionalization and rehabilitation. The movie gives reasons for how prison is
used as punishment, and the way prison can work like a machine.

Prison Culture

Guard Subculture

There are various different types of guards in prisons, these include the rule
enforcer, hard liner, people worker, synthetic officer, and loner (Cesaroni, 2009a).
The rule enforcer is a very inflexible guard who is only interested in control and
custody. These types of guards do not want to negotiate with the inmates. The hard
liner is a power hungry guard, who likes to punish and to show authority. The
people worker guard type tends to be an older, more experienced guard who relies
on their verbal skills, and common sense. The Synthetic officer is a guard who
treats the inmate fairly, and is likely to follow the rules closely, depending on the
situation. The loner guard is someone who strictly enforces the rules, and needs to
constantly prove him/herself to the other guards.

The Warden Samuel Norton in the film Shawshank Redemption is depicted as a

people worker in the beginning of the movie. This is believed because the Warden
is shown to be a reform-minded authority. The Warden is also shown to be a
devote Christian; in the scene when he is first introduced to the audience, he
explains “I believe in two things, discipline and the bible”. However as the film
progresses we see that the Warden Samuel Norton is a great example of the hard
liner guard, due to various actions. The Warden shows his true nature to be that of
a hardliner guard, when he conspires to have Tommy Williams killed so that Andy
does not have a chance of getting out of prison. Another example that the Warden
is considered to be a hardliner guard is that he is using the inmates as free labor,
while taking bribes from competing agencies. The film Shawshank Redemption
outlines the head guard, Captain Byron Hadley to be a good illustration of the rule
enforcer. When Captain Hadley is introduced to the audience he is yelling at a new
inmate “You eat when you’re told to eat, you shit when we say you shit, you piss
when we say you piss” in response to the question “When do we eat?” This depicts
that Hadley’s role is to enforce the rules. Hadley enjoys being a vicious and
extreme guard who enjoys horribly beating the inmates. The Captain also beats a
new prisoner to death on Andy’s first night in prison.

Inmate Subculture

Inmate subculture is described as the norms, beliefs, values, ideologies, symbols,

and language specific to a group of inmates in prison (Ishwawan & Neugebauer,
2001). These norms, values, beliefs, and attitudes are stripped from the inmates
when they first come into the prison which then changes to manipulation, deceit
and a criminal lifestyle (Stojkovic, Stan & Lovell, 1998). There are two models for
inmate subculture, the deprivation model and the importation model (Ishwawan &
Neugebauer, 2001). The Deprivation model suggests that the prisoners suffer and
get frustrated due to the absence of liberty, privacy, free access to goods and
services, heterosexual relationships, autonomy and security (Stojkovic, Stan &
Lovell, 1998). This theory suggests that the inmate subculture is evident due to the
pains of imprisonment. While the importation model or functional model explains
that the subculture is evident since the prisoners are replicating the outside world.
This model includes the prisoner-staff dynamic, 3 types of inmates, various racial
groups within the prison population, type of offence, record of recidivism (re-
offending), personality differences (prior to imprisonment), power of “politicians”
(top of the inmate social hierarchy), work gangs, work groups, and sexual
“deviation” which would directly affect inmate subculture. Both inmate subculture
models comprise of a behavior code, a power hierarchy, an economic system for
illicit goods and service distributions and “argot” rules (Ishwawan & Neugebauer,
2001).

Argot rules are a set of terms that inmates use to refer to various roles in the prison
subculture (Ishwawan & Neugebauer, 2001).The prison argot roles include terms
such as fish, rat, gorilla, center-men, merchant, ball buster, tough, real man, wolf,
fag and punk. Fish is a new inmate; in the film all the new inmates are called fish
by the other inmates. As the new inmates are walking in there is another (older)
inmate who is making gestures about “reeling-in fish”. A center-man is an
unpopular inmate who tries to ingrate with the prison authority. In the film, Andy
would be a great example, as he helps the guards (and the Warden) with their taxes
and manages their money. However when asked about it, Andy denies the claim.
Andy is also liked by the other inmates, once they get to know him, thus he would
not be a complete center man. Brooks is another example of a center man, however
in the movie Brooks is popular, and everyone likes him. A Merchant or peddler is
an inmate who sells when given the chance, in this case Red is a perfect example.
Red is “the guy that can get it for you, cigs, brandy, anything within reason”. A
wolf is an inmate that takes the male role in sexual encounters. These individuals
are very aggressive and are not of homosexual orientation outside of prison. In the
movie Bogs Diamond the head of “The Sisters” gang is a good example. The gang
rapes and assaults Andy several times. In this case Andy is the punk. Punks are
forced by the wolves into the female role in sexual encounters

The following terms were not depicted in the film Shawshank Redemption. A rat is
someone who tells on the other inmates for privileges from the guards. A gorilla is
a physically strong inmate who preys on a weaker inmate by using force of the
threat of force. A ball buster is an inmate who creates disturbances for the sake of
it. A tough inmate is someone who is violent and abusive towards other inmates. A
real man is an inmate who does his own time, and does not interact with other
inmates very much. A fag is an inmate whose sexual orientation is homosexual
before entering the prison. This inmate willingly participates in the female role
during sexual encounters. The argot roles are part of prison adjustment.

Prison Adjustment

There are three main stages of adjustment that an individual will experience when
they are sentenced to spend time in prison. The stages include initiation,
prisonzation or institutionalization and rehabilitation. Initiation is when the
individual is first entering the prison and needs to confirm to prison culture.
Prisonization or institutionalization is when the individual develops their prison-
self. Finally rehabilitation is how the individual adjusts and deals with being
rehabilitated and returned back into society. All three of these stages are depicted
in the movie and show that initiation and rehabilitation are the hardest stages to
deal with when it comes to prison life.

According to Wheeler, prison life and culture is in the shape of a U-shaped curve
(Cesaroni, 2009b). At the top of the U is the initial entry into prison which is a high
stress period regardless of whether the individual has done time before or not. The
prisonization or institutionalization part of the theory is the middle of the U, this is
where prison culture really sets in and the inmates are the furthest from their
outside selves. It has been found that inmates are on their best behavior at the
beginning and at the end of their sentences. Once again at the end of an inmate’s
sentence, they experience a high stress period. However this period revolves
around being released from prison and how the individual will rehabilitate back
into society.

Initiation

According to Goffman there is a psychological process that an individual must go

through when entering prison (Ishwaran & Neugebauer, 2001). This process is
referred to as mortifications of the self. Mortifications of the self is when an inmate
has to give up their civilian identity, and are forced to adopt the new institutional
identity into their daily lives. Essentially they are stripped of their societal self and
forced to discover who their prison self is.

The initiation process begins by first off taking any personal possessions that these
individuals may have on them such as money, clothing or other personal effects.
The new inmates are then put through various demoralization processes which may
include the cutting of their hair, disinfecting and finger printing. This process is
depicted in the film when Andy is first brought to Shawshank Penitentiary. They
are marched through the yard while the other inmates watch on, most of them
calling out names like ‘Fish’. The new inmates were then marched into a dark
room where they meet the warden and captain of the guard. After which they are
hosed down in a cage and then tossed in tick-powder almost as if they are animals.
All new inmates are then given a prison uniform so that they and all other inmates
in the institution will be dressed the same sans the number printed on the front of
the uniform. That number is the inmates’ new identity while they are within those
prison walls. After the prisoners in the movie have been cleaned they are given
their uniform and a bible before being forced to march to their cells naked.

The initiation process itself is intended to further isolate the inmate thus separating
them from the general population. These feelings of isolation and loneliness force
the inmate to seek comfort elsewhere; this usually tends to be prison subculture.
Clemmer states that the inmates’ loss of autonomy encourages the inmate to
identify with the prison hierarchal system that is very similar to that of the outside
world. By grasping and understanding this familiar status enables the inmates to
gain feelings of self-worth and prestige within the prison. The inmates adjust to
prison subculture in order to maintain a sense of safety and protection as well as
enabling them to learn and adhere to the rules of the prison. This can help placate
the guards which ultimately could lead to a lower sentence and no further
punishment. When the guards in the movie turned the lights off in the prison after
bringing in the new inmates, the taunting from the older inmates started. Red stated
in the film “they always go fishing with first timers, don’t stop until they reel
someone in”. What Red is trying to say is that the older inmates always taunt and
name call the new inmates. The older inmates do not stop until someone starts to
cry, which is equivalent of catching in fish Even the ones that sound like they are
trying to be nice are taunting the new inmates. In the film Shawshank Redemption,
Red bet his fellow inmates that Andy would be the first to cry on the contrary
Andy did not make a sound all night.

Prisonization/Institutionalization

To truly understand prison and how it affects the individual Goffman described it
as a total institution. Another way to think about prison is as “a place of residence
and work where a large number of like-situated individuals, cut off from the wider
society for an appreciable period of time, together lead an enclosed, formally
administered round of life” (Ishwaran & Neugebauer, 2001). This is in the sense of
the controlling structure and social organization in which the prison functions.
Clemmer states that prisonization or institutionalization is the process of
socialization of an inmate into the subculture of the prison. This process includes
learning about the prisons subculture such as values, beliefs and behaviors that
challenge the prison staff. Although these rules and subcultures are in place to
rehabilitate the offender they may reinforce some types of deviant behavior as
well.

Some people who enter prison will not fully adopt the prison subculture.
Individuals who buy into the prison culture tend to have longer sentences, unstable
personalities and tend to not have weak relationships with people on the outside of
prison (Cesaroni, 2009b). The individuals who resist prison culture tend to have
shorter sentences, stable personalities and fairly good relationships with people in
society. In the film most of the characters had long sentences and easily bought
into the prisonization effect. A prime example of that is the character Brooks.
Brooks was in the prison for 50 years, been sent to Shawshank Penitentiary in
1905. He started to think of himself as an important man within the prison walls
since he had been in charge of the library since 1912. However on the outside he
was nothing, and he “couldn’t get a library card if he wanted to”. Red said it best
when talking about prisonization and the walls at Shawshank Penitentiary “the
walls are funny, first you hate them, then you get used to them, then you need
them”. Brooks found out the hard way while on parole, that after 50 years of being
in prison and abiding by the prison cultures he could not live in normal society
anymore.
Another reason for individuals to buy into the prisonization or institutionalization
affects is due to Sykes’s deprivation model (Cesaroni, 2009b). This model states
that the stress and difficulties are caused by the depriving conditions of the prison
itself which ultimately lead to the inmates coping with prison culture mechanisms.
Sykes theories on deprivation are not far off when it comes to conditions of the
prison. There is a pain in entering prison even after an inmate adjusts to their new
home. They have lost their rights of liberty and are deprived from goods, services,
security and the option of a heterosexual relationship. Inmates are treated like
children by being told when to eat, when to work, when to sleep and even when
they can use the bathroom. The facilities are a poor environment because there are
rats and a high risk of illnesses due to close quarters with other inmates. In the
film, one of the new inmates asks Captain Hadley when they will eat to which he
responds that “you eat when we say you eat. You shit when we say you shit. You
piss when we say you piss”. This was something that Red had trouble with later
once he was on parole.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is a program and a goal that the penal system uses to help inmates
return to society without the fear of re-offending. In the past it was believed that
criminals committed crimes because they were lazy therefore the inmates needed
to work hard in order for them to change (Cesaroni, 2009c). It was believed that a
strong work ethic was directly connected to positive social behavior, thus teaching
inmates to work hard was seen as a way to reform them. It is now believed that
meaningful work can lead to rehabilitating an inmate because they learn skills and
develop good work habits that can be used in society. This can also help the
inmates when applying for parole. Inmates who work hard while in prison are seen
more favorable by the parole board, since the need to re-offend is decreased.

Rehabilitation is a science and it started being seen that way in Canada in 1935. It
was considered that in order to rehabilitate inmates professional help from
psychologists, psychiatrists and correctional managers was needed (Cesaroni,
2009d). This worked well until about 1970, when all the rights and actions groups
started protesting with the use of riots, murders and hostage takings. At this time
the people were demanding a get tough attitude towards criminals as well as their
wayward children (Gendreau, Smith & Goggin, 2001). After the civil unrest of the
1970s, rehabilitation was brought back into the thoughts of corrections in new
ways, it was felt that some inmates belonged in the community, away from the
experts and not locked away behind bars (Cesaroni, 2009d).
In the film Shawshank Redpemtion, rehabilitation was shown with two different
characters, first Brooks was released on parole after 50 years in Shawshank. When
Brooks was heard that his parole was granted he initially did not want to go out. He
felt that although he was someone important within the walls of penitentiary, he
would be a nobody in the outside world. The first thing that Brookes notices when
he left Shawshank Penitentiary was that “the world got big in a hurry and that
everything moved very fast”. Through the parole board he was able to get into a
half-way house as well as get a job bagging groceries at a Foodway. However
Brooks did not like his job, it was hard work, it hurt his hands and he believed his
manager was not very fond of him. The whole time Brooks is out he keeps
thinking about committing a crime such as shooting the manager so that he can go
back to prison. In the end Brooks hangs himself in his room at the half-way house
because he cannot deal with the stress of being in society. In contrast Red had been
up against the parole board numerous times throughout the film. Red is finally
granted parole after serving 40 years into his life sentence. Red gets parole after
telling the parole board that “I think rehabilitate is a made up word, that he does
feel regret for what I did because I was a young and stupid kid who created a crime
and wants to take it back not because I am in jail or because that is what the parole
board wants to hear”. Once he is released he is given the same room and the same
job that Brooks had. Red feels that he will never get used to living outside the
prison. This is because old habits die hard, and Red keeps asking his manager if he
can use the bathroom, the manager states that “you do not need to ask but to just
go”. Red wants to be back in Shawshank where things make sense but there is one
thing that stops him, his promise to Andy.

Prison as punishment

The rules of punishment outlined by Andrew Flew suggest that human suffering
must be present (Cesaroni, 2009e). The rule must be a directly related to the
offense, and should be directed at the offender. The punishment should be inflicted
by an authorized body overlooking the embodiment of the rules or laws of the
society in which the offence was committed. David Garland outlines various social
functions that relate back to the complex relationship between punishment and
prisons. These social functions include moral process, economic and political
control, power, knowledge, and discipline as well as cultural transformation of
human behavior (Garland, 1991).

Punishment is a moral process in which shared values and norms are based on
society (Garland, 1991). Moral process is described as punishment functions which
try to preserve the shared values and norms. The moral process reforms the social
order and institutions, and reconfirms social solidarity. Punishment symbolizes and
enacts moral judgments, punishment becomes a symbol. Garland argues that
punishment is very emotional even though it is suppose to be rational, and
impassive. Prison is a ritualized expression of social values. Punishment sustains a
collective social conscience and sustains social solidarity. An example from the
movie is that the judge orders Andy to serve two life sentences back to back. While
red serves a life sentence as well.

Prison as punishment is a part of a wider strategy in order to control the poor/lower

class (Garland, 1991). The tougher punishment is always placed on those that
come from poorer parts of society. The prison might use the inmates as a cheap
labor force by only teaching the inmates in trades, which are not available or valid
in the job market. The economic needs or threats to the upper class are always
valued over the victimization of the lower classes. Social forces that cannot be
manipulated are very important in crime and are always at play in society. In the
film Shawshank Redemption the inmates are shown doing laundry in a prison
basement. Another example from the movie is the various times they are working
outside (in the spring of 1949 they would work outside tarring the roof), and
various other outside working contracts. The Warden is putting other contractors
out of business with his prison labor. Since the prison inmates do not have a high
wage rates, the Warden uses Andy for all the banking matters, and to hide the extra
bribes that the Warden receives. Andy also works for cheap.

Power, knowledge and discipline are part of expert knowledge, the power to
change something and to discipline (Garland, 1991). Prison is also about educating
prisoners so that they can be reformed and are more functioning in society. Power
is used in the form of judges and the courts to incriminate the accused. Discipline
is used in the daily practices of guards, to keep order in the prison. A primary
reason for punishment is also to keep order in society. The Warden has strong
beliefs in religion in the movie. Shawshank Redemption has a scene when the
Warden is checking for contraband and is pleased to see Andy reading the bible.
The Warden assumes that Andy is reading the bible, when in fact the bible is used
to hid instruments for rebellion.

Cultural transformations are changes in attitude, conduct, social organizations and

interactions (Garland, 1991). These changes can include personal hygiene,
expressions of anger, sex, violence, suffering and death over a period of time. In
the last 500 years there has been a change in sex, violence, bodily functions,
illness, suffering and death which have moved to the private domains. Moral,
economic, cultural and knowledge all explain the complex issues of prison as
punishment in society.

Prison as a Machine

In a lot of prison films, Shawshank Redemption included, prison is depicted to

function much like a machine in a factory (Mason, 2003). This machine primarily
runs on a strict set of rules and regulations which are constantly in effect. This
depiction has an effect on viewers which is to showcase an individual’s fight for
survival and the process of dehumanization that comes with being incarcerated
within the system itself. The actions of the prison machine are shown by the
inmates themselves and how they move about the prison. From when the doors of
the cells unanimously open allowing the prisoners to step out so that they can
march down to breakfast in a row, or so they can be led into the yard altogether.
Many prison films also tend to show the same monotonous tasks being done over
and over again to depict the mundane regime that the prisons run on. It is acts such
as these that represent the inner workings of the machine, the prisoners are the cogs
and gears that work the machine while the prison itself is the cold hard exterior of
the machine. The rules and regulations that make prison like a machine are how the
inmates need to be told by the guards when they can eat, sleep and use the facilities
and how long they will have to complete each task. Any violations of these rules
will have consequences which usually is a stay in solitary confinement.

In the film there are numerous scenes where the inmates are getting let out of their
cells together, eating together and spending time in the yard together. Every
morning they are ordered to stand just outside their cell door for inspection and
march down to breakfast together, as a group. There are two instances in the film
where these rules and regulations are broken. The first is when Andy receives his
first shipment of supplies for his library, he locks himself in the warden’s office
and plays one of the records he receives so that everyone in the yard can hear it. As
punishment for disturbing the peace of the prison Andy spends some time in
solitary confinement, also known as the hole. The second time is when Andy did
not come out of his cell when the guards opened the door in the morning, the
reason for that is because Andy was not there. Andy had escaped from Shawshank
in the middle of the night through the hole he had been digging for years hidden
behind his Marilyn Monroe poster. Andy never did receive a punishment for that
violation because he was never found.

Conclusion
Prison has been depicted in many different films over the years, each of them
including Shawshank Redemption, has shown to the world that prison is
horrifying. Shawshank Redemption has proved that prison is a brutal place by
demonstrating how different guards behave and treat the inmates, as well as
illustrating the way the inmates interact with one another and the ways in which
they try to make their daily lives a little more bearable. The movie explains how
inmates adjust to prison life from the initiation at the start of their sentence, to
rehabilitating the offender back into normal society as well as prisonization or
institutionalization the inmates’ experience. The film Shawshank Redemption also
explained how prison is used for punishment purposes and proved that prison can
function as if it were a piece of machinery. The media has always depicted prison
to be a negative place and the movie The Shawshank Redemption is a prime
example.

Symbolic Interactionist in mobile pictures

Shawshank Redemption

Functionalsim Continued

- Red's business- system of trading within the prison- first time when Andy is

getting his rock hammer delivered.

- Hierarchy: Red and Brooks have higher ranking within the prison due to

seniority.
The longer Andy is there the more respected he becomes.

sexual abuse of lesser status inmates

- The tendency of prisoners to break parole and come back to prison or commit

suicide

- Prisoners become ¨institutionalized¨ over time

Brooks, Red

Symbolic Interaction

Andy's job in the library represents him moving up in the ranks (Seniority).

Rita Hayworth Poster- he pinups posters of Rita Hayworth and the other women

represent the outside world, hope, and every inmate’s desire to escape to a normal

life.

He has chiseled his way to freedom behind it.

The rocks Andy sculpts serve as a cover to justify owning a rock hammer, but they

also represent the spirit of hope that he exudes.

Shows a sense of normality in a place where that's hard to find.

Functionalism

The guards control the prisoners and their roles are well defined within the prison

Whenever a prisoner acts out and causes trouble, they are punished by the guards.

A defined system.

Ex:Bogs after beating up Andy- He was beaten.

Symbolic Interactionism

The view of social behavior that emphasizes linguistic or gestural communication

and its subjective understanding. It focuses on micro-level interactions and

symbols.

Functionalism

According to functionalism, society is a system of interconnected parts that work

together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the

whole.

Symbolic Interactionism

Andy´s life represents the lack of justice in the justice system

one person represents a bigger social problem

Cigarettes symbolize money

The Library symbolizes progress and freedom in the Prison.

Uniforms symbolize the separation between the guards and the prisoners(High

class, Low Class)

Reading: Symbolic Interactionist Theory

Sociological Paradigm #3: Symbolic Interactionist Theory

Symbolic interactionism is a micro-level theory that focuses on the relationships
among individuals within a society. Communication—the exchange of meaning
through language and symbols—is believed to be the way in which people make
sense of their social worlds. Theorists Herman and Reynolds (1994) note that this
perspective sees people as being active in shaping the social world rather than
simply being acted upon.

George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) is considered a founder of symbolic

interactionism though he never published his work on it (LaRossa and Reitzes
1993). Mead’s student, Herbert Blumer, coined the term “symbolic interactionism”
and outlined these basic premises: humans interact with things based on meanings
ascribed to those things; the ascribed meaning of things comes from our
interactions with others and society; the meanings of things are interpreted by a
person when dealing with things in specific circumstances (Blumer 1969). If you
love books, for example, a symbolic interactionist might propose that you learned
that books are good or important in the interactions you had with family, friends,
school, or church; maybe your family had a special reading time each week,
getting your library card was treated as a special event, or bedtime stories were
associated with warmth and comfort.

Social scientists who apply symbolic-interactionist thinking look for patterns of

interaction between individuals. Their studies often involve observation of one-on-
one interactions. For example, while a conflict theorist studying a political protest
might focus on class difference, a symbolic interactionist would be more interested
in how individuals in the protesting group interact, as well as the signs and
symbols protesters use to communicate their message. The focus on the importance
of symbols in building a society led sociologists like Erving Goffman (1922–1982)
to develop a technique called dramaturgical analysis. Goffman used theater as an
analogy for social interaction and recognized that people’s interactions showed
patterns of cultural “scripts.” Because it can be unclear what part a person may
play in a given situation, he or she has to improvise his or her role as the situation
unfolds (Goffman 1958).

Studies that use the symbolic interactionist perspective are more likely to use
qualitative research methods, such as in-depth interviews or participant
observation, because they seek to understand the symbolic worlds in which
research subjects live.

Constructivism is an extension of symbolic interaction theory which proposes that

reality is what humans cognitively construct it to be. We develop social constructs
based on interactions with others, and those constructs that last over time are those
that have meanings which are widely agreed-upon or generally accepted by most
within the society. This approach is often used to understand what’s defined as
deviant within a society. There is no absolute definition of deviance, and different
societies have constructed different meanings for deviance, as well as associating
different behaviors with deviance. One situation that illustrates this is what you
believe you’re to do if you find a wallet in the street. In the United States, turning
the wallet in to local authorities would be considered the appropriate action, and to
keep the wallet would be seen as deviant. In contrast, many Eastern societies
would consider it much more appropriate to keep the wallet and search for the
owner yourself; turning it over to someone else, even the authorities, would be
considered deviant behavior.

The consumption of food is a commonplace, daily occurrence, yet it can also be

associated with important moments in our lives. Eating can be an individual or a
group action, and eating habits and customs are influenced by our cultures. In the
context of society, our nation’s food system is at the core of numerous social
movements, political issues, and economic debates. Any of these factors might
become a topic of sociological study.
A structural-functional approach to the topic of food consumption might be
interested in the role of the agriculture industry within the nation’s economy and
how this has changed from the early days of manual-labor farming to modern
mechanized production. Another examination might study the different functions
that occur in food production: from farming and harvesting to flashy packaging
and mass consumerism.
A conflict theorist might be interested in the power differentials present in the
regulation of food, by exploring where people’s right to information intersects with
corporations’ drive for profit and how the government mediates those interests. Or
a conflict theorist might be interested in the power and powerlessness experienced
by local farmers versus large farming conglomerates, such as the
documentary Food Inc. depicts as resulting from Monsanto’s patenting of seed
technology. Another topic of study might be how nutrition varies between different
social classes.
A sociologist viewing food consumption through a symbolic interactionist lens
would be more interested in micro-level topics, such as the symbolic use of food in
religious rituals, or the role it plays in the social interaction of a family dinner. This
perspective might also study the interactions among group members who identify
themselves based on their sharing a particular diet, such as vegetarians (people
who don’t eat meat) or locavores (people who strive to eat locally produced food).
Sociological Theory Today

These three approaches are still the main foundation of modern sociological
theory, but some evolution has been seen. Structural-functionalism was a dominant
force after World War II and until the 1960s and 1970s. At that time, sociologists
began to feel that structural-functionalism did not sufficiently explain the rapid
social changes happening in the United States at that time.

Conflict theory then gained prominence, as there was renewed emphasis on

institutionalized social inequality. Critical theory, and the particular aspects of
feminist theory and critical race theory, focused on creating social change through
the application of sociological principles, and the field saw a renewed emphasis on
helping ordinary people understand sociology principles, in the form of public
sociology.

Postmodern social theory attempts to look at society through an entirely new lens
by rejecting previous macro-level attempts to explain social phenomena. Generally
considered as gaining acceptance in the late 1970s and early 1980s, postmodern
social theory is a micro-level approach that looks at small, local groups and
individual reality. Its growth in popularity coincides with the constructivist aspects
of symbolic interactionism.

Shawshank Redemption

Ann Do, Aliza Ton, & Julia Campbell

Andy & Red

Socialization

Prisoners at Shawshank experiences socialization while serving their time.

Quoted by Andy: “The funny thing is on the outside I was an honest man, straight

as an arrow, I had to come to prison to learn how to be a crook. "

The prisoners had to learn that there was no blasphemy allowed at Shawshank and

had to adjust to what they found was normal on the outside is no longer normal.

Red changed considerably in the years he knew Andy. Throughout the movie,

every decade he tries to get released on parole, but always gets denied. As a result

of everything he has experienced and Andy, he tells the board at his final hearing

that he does not care if he gets released.- this results in him finally getting

released.

About Shawshank

Shawshank Redemption narrates the story of an innocent man’s stay and eventual

escape from prison despite all the obstacles in his way.

Andy Dufresne is wrongly convicted of a double murder. He's sentenced to a life

term at the Shawshank State Prison in Maine.

During his imprisonment, he friends Ellis "Red" Redding who is also at

Shawshank for murdering his wife, only he's actually guilty.

An older prisoner Brooks stirs up talk in the prison when he's released on parole

after fifty years and commits suicide because he cannot adjust to the outside

world.

The story follows these men as well as other prisoners and their lives while being

institutionalized at Shawshank.

Deviance

In society, one of the most popular forms of punishment for deviant individuals

who commit criminal acts is to send them to a correctional facility.

Although the rest of society has rejected this person as a result of this behavior, in

a restricted setting like prison - people begin to adapt to their surroundings.

Inevitably, the longer one stays in this setting, the more institutionalized people

become. Criminals will soon readily accept their status as a prisoner as well as

establish a new identity within this community.

Brooks

Prison Culture
Prisons are like mini communities, totally separated from the wider society.

Inmate subcultures are people who are incarcerated at one of the federal, provincial

or local correctional institutions and the social structure the inmates create and how

they interact with each other exemplfy culture. It shows the various types of roles

prisoners have in prison.

There's a hierarchy of the inmates in which the powerful ones will be on top and

the weak ones will be on the bottom.

Plot of the Movie

The story of the movie takes place in the year 1947. Andy Defresne (a banker) is
convicted of murdering his wife and her lover and sentenced to two consecutive
life sentences at the fictional Shawshank State Penitentiary.
In the prison Andy befriends Ellis Red, an inmate serving a life sentence. Red
procures a rock hammer and later a large poster of Rita Hayworth for Andy
Working in the prison laundry, Andy is regularly assaulted by the "bull queer"
gang "the Sisters" and their leader, Bogs.
In 1949, Andy overhears Byron Hadley, the captain of the guards, complaining
about being taxed on an inheritance and offers to help him to legally shelter the
money.
Andy meets an elderly inmate Brooks Hatlen and starts his new job as the assistant
of the prison library.
In 1954, after Brooks was paroled, Andy became the librarian and improves the
decaying prison library.
Brooks hangs himself as he cannot adjust to the outside world after staying in the
prison for fifty years.
In 1963, Norton begins exploiting prison labor for public works, profiting by
undercutting skilled labor costs and receiving kickbacks. He has Andy launder the
money using the alias Randall Stephens.
In 1965, Tommy Williams is incarcerated for burglary. He joins Andy's and Red's
circle of friends, and Andy helps him pass his G.E.D. exam. In 1966, Tommy
reveals to Red and Andy that an inmate at another prison claimed responsibility for
the murders Andy was convicted of, implying Andy's innocence. Andy approaches
Warden Norton with this information, but the warden refuses to listen and sends
Andy back to solitary when he mentions the money laundering.
Nortan and Captain Hadley murders William
Andy is released from solitary confinement and tells Red of his dream of living in
Zihuatanejo, a Mexican coastal town. Red feels Andy is being unrealistic, but
promises Andy that if he is ever released he will visit a specific hayfield near
Buxton, Maine and retrieve a package Andy buried there.
Andy breaks the prison the next night.
Andy poses as Randall Stephens and visits several banks to withdraw the
laundered money.
Also he mails the ledger and evidence of the corruption and murders at Shawshank
to a local newspaper. The police arrive at Shawshank and take Hadley into
custody, while Norton commits suicide to avoid arrest.
After serving 40 years, Red is finally paroled. He struggles to adapt to life outside
prison and fears he never will.
Remembering his promise to Andy, he visits Buxton and finds a cache containing
money and a letter asking him to come to Zihuatanejo. Red violates his parole and
travels to Fort Hancock, Texas to cross the border to Mexico, admitting he finally
feels hope. On a beach in Zihuatanejo he finds Andy, and the two friends are
happily reunited.
Conflicts in the Movie
Freedom
vs
Imprisonment
Tim Robbins
as Andy Dufresne
Morgan Freeman
as Red
James Whitmore
as Brooks Hatlen
"We sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders and felt like free men. We could
have been tarring the roof of one of our own houses."
"...and when they put you in that cell, when those bars slam home, that's when you
know it's for real. A whole life blown away in the blink of an eye. Nothing left but
all the time in the world to think about it."
"These prison walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em.
Enough time passes, gets so you depend on them. That's institutionalized. They
send you here for life, that's exactly what they take. The part that counts anyways."
"I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his
hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."
Justice
vs
Corruption
Bob Gunton
as Warden Samuel Norton
Clancy Brown
as Capt. Byron Hadley
Kindness
vs
Brutality
"Rule Number One- no blasphemy. I cannot take the Lord's name in vain in my
prison." - Nortan
"I believe in two things. Discipline, and the Bible. Here you'll receive both."
"Almost forgot; I'd hate to deprive you of this. Salvation lies within."
Andy's trial and punishment
Red's parole hearings
Brook's love for his pet bird
The molestation of Andy by the "bull queer" gang "the Sisters" and their leader,
Bogs
Warden Nortan's behaviour towards Andy
Capt. Byron Hadleys behaviour towards Andy
Friendship between Andy and Red
"Dear Red, If you're reading this, you've gotten out. And if you've come this far,
maybe you're willing to come a little further. You remember the name of the town,
don't you? I could use a good man to help me get my project on wheels. I'll keep an
eye out for you and the chessboard ready. Remember, Red. Hope is a good thing,
maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. I will be hoping that this
letter finds you, and finds you well. Your friend, Andy."
The Shawshank Redemption is an allegory for maintaining one's feeling of self-
worth when placed in a hopeless position. Andy Dufresne's integrity is an
important theme in the story line, especially in prison, where integrity is lacking.

If deviance is the violation of social norms, then you should consider Andy
Dufresne's relationship with the guards. Guards had never respected prisoners
before, let alone asked one for financial advice. If you are using a deviance theory
model like this one:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Mertons_social_strain_theor
y.svg you could put characters into these categories. At first Dufresne fits into the
innovation category, but eventually into the the rebellion category. You could also
discuss how Red was finally released after he changed his thinking and moved into
the rebellion category.

Shawshank Redemption
Functionalsim Continued
- Red's business- system of trading within the prison- first time when Andy is
getting his rock hammer delivered.
- Hierarchy: Red and Brooks have higher ranking within the prison due to
seniority.
The longer Andy is there the more respected he becomes.
sexual abuse of lesser status inmates
- The tendency of prisoners to break parole and come back to prison or commit
suicide
- Prisoners become ¨institutionalized¨ over time
Brooks, Red
Symbolic Interaction
Andy's job in the library represents him moving up in the ranks (Seniority).
Rita Hayworth Poster- he pinups posters of Rita Hayworth and the other women
represent the outside world, hope, and every inmate’s desire to escape to a normal
life.
He has chiseled his way to freedom behind it.
The rocks Andy sculpts serve as a cover to justify owning a rock hammer, but they
also represent the spirit of hope that he exudes.
Shows a sense of normality in a place where that's hard to find.
Functionalism
The guards control the prisoners and their roles are well defined within the prison
Whenever a prisoner acts out and causes trouble, they are punished by the guards.
A defined system.
Ex:Bogs after beating up Andy- He was beaten.
Symbolic Interactionism
The view of social behavior that emphasizes linguistic or gestural communication
and its subjective understanding. It focuses on micro-level interactions and
symbols.

Functionalism
According to functionalism, society is a system of interconnected parts that work
together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the
whole.
Symbolic Interactionism
Andy´s life represents the lack of justice in the justice system
one person represents a bigger social problem
Cigarettes symbolize money
The Library symbolizes progress and freedom in the Prison.
Uniforms symbolize the separation between the guards and the prisoners(High
class, Low Class)

Shawshank Redemption is quite the intriguing movie when pertaining to sociology.

This particular movie focuses on socialization, as well as desocialization and
resocialization.
First and foremost, socialization refers to the lifelong process of inheriting and
disseminating norms, customs and ideologies, providing an individual with the
skills and habits necessary for participating within his or her own society; it is the
means by which social and cultural continuity are attained (Socialization). Andy
projects socialization in the film by simply stating to Red, “You know the funny
thing is, on the outside I was an honest man, straight as an arrow. I had to come to
prison to be a crook.” Another example of socialization projected in the film
occurs about 20 minutes into the film; the Warden states, “Rule number one: no
blasphemy. I'll not have the Lord's name taken in vain in my prison.” He disallows
the men their right to obtain freedom of speech on the grounds that he disapproves
of such “ugly” words. There is also the fact that Red experienced a change in
character with nineteen years of Andy’s company. For approximately forty years,
Red has been denied parole and frankly, didn’t give a damn whether he received
approval or not; however, things change with time. As a result of everything that
Red has experienced with Andy, he gives the board a speech that sings a different
tune. Instead of pretending to be an honest man who has changed for the better,
Red tells the men of the board that he “does not give a shit”. He explains to the
board that he experiences regret every day of his life, not because he got caught or
because he should feel bad, but because he simply feels regret and sorrow. When
asked of his thoughts on the word re...

... middle of paper ...

...the best of things”. It is at this very moment that Red changes his attitude and
begins to view life in a positive manner. Through the voice-overs that occur at the
end of the film, Red is hopeful for what the future holds and one day being
reunited with his friend Andy. His hope is expressed so strongly that he decides to
break parole and risk everything to find Andy. This shows the audience that hope
can drive a person to risk everything in order to reach their desired goal. The
director uses music and voice-overs in order to allow the audience to better relate
to the central characters and their attitudes involving hope. Even after losing
everything they have once known, they continue to feel hopeful for what is to
come.

Works Cited

"Socialization." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Mar. 2014. Web. 12 Mar.

2014. .