Section 3
After you watch the movie!
Now let’s try to answer some questions!
1. Why did Andy Dufresne go to jail?
Andy is convicted of killing his wife’s lover, a golf pro.
Andy is convicted of money laundering.
Andy is convicted of murdering his wife and her lover.
Correct! Because of the supposed crime, he is given two consecutive life sentences and sent to the notoriously harsh Shawshank Prison.
2. What does Red do in Shawshank?
He is the guy that locates certain people from time to time.
He is responsible for getting the guards some things they want the prisoners not to have.
He is responsible for getting the inmates some things they want.
Correct! Red is Shawshank’s smuggler.
3. Did Andy have easy first years in prison? Why (not)?
Yes. Andy and Red’s bond made his life fairly simple in the first years.
No. Especially because Red and Heywood sexually assaulted him multiple times.
No. Particularly because of “The sisters.”
That’s it. “The sisters” frequently raped Andy during the beginning of his sentence.
4. How did Andy start to become valuable for the guards?
Andy offers himself to launder the Warden’s bribery money.
While in the laundry, a prison guard shows up asking Andy for financial advising.
Andy informed Captain Hadley of how he could shelter his money from the IRS.
That’s it. After that, Andy’s expertise as a banker became a handy asset in Shawshank.
5. Why did Brooks commit suicide?
He felt remorse after threatening to kill Heywood.
He noticed that he would never be able to adapt to his new job and his new fast car.
He has become essentially conditioned to be a prisoner for the rest of his life.
Good job! As Red said: He has become “institutionalized” and is unable to adapt to the outside world.
6. Why does the Warden order Tommy to be killed?
Because the Warden disliked the fact that Andy helped Tommy earn his high school equivalency diploma.
Because Tommy is too involved in the Warden’s money laundering schemes.
Because Tommy is willing to be a witness in a possible new trial to favor Andy.
That’s it. Even though Andy may truly be innocent, the Warden can’t allow him to be free because he knows too much about the illegal schemes of Shawshank.
7. Why is the sentence “Salvation lies within” ironic in the movie?
Because the guards are the ones that can’t find salvation inside the prison.
Because Andy was able to save himself from all the evil in Shawshank by reflecting extensively while reading the bible.
Because the very same book that contains this spiritual sentence, was the book that Andy used to save himself physically.
Great job! It is ironic because it’s a biblical passage, and Andy used the Bible to hide his rock hammer.
- How was it? Did you get all correct?
Let’s watch an interview!
- Watch the interview with Tim Robbins below and answer some true or false questions!
1. Tim believes that Shawshank Redemption is a unique movie.
False
True
That’s correct! He says the movie is in a class of its own.
2. According to Tim, the end is hopeful and life-affirming.
False
True
Good job! He believes that it transmits the message that hope can keep us alive.
3. He states that the message of the movie is not relatable.
True
False
That’s it! He believes the movie is capable of making everybody believe that, as long as you do what is needed, you’ll have a great reward at the end.
Time to Write!
- If you were ever sentenced for a crime you didn’t commit, what would you do? Do you agree with Dufresne that hope is the most important thing that a person can have?
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