Shawshank Redemption : Andy Dufresne : a Life-Changing Journey

In The Shawshank Redemption, the protagonist, Andy Dufresne embarks upon a life-changing journey. Throughout the film, he goes through pivotal moments that change his perspective on life. In these moments, the audience sees him develop into a more dynamic character. The complexity of his personality and belief system is what makes Andy's character so interesting. Being wrongfully convicted of a terrible crime he did not commit and being sent to a prison that does not respect human life changes the course of his life and attributes to his life-altering journey. Important stops occured from Andy in the first scene during the trial and Andy in the final scenes in M?©xico. These important moments taught and enriched his character, exposed him to new ideas, and challenged his skill-set.

The first stop is the beginning, pictured at Andy's trial. The audience is not certain whether Andy is guilty or innocent of his alleged crime. He expression seems to be in shock at his sentence to life in prison. His entire life has just altered from being a banker to a convict.

The next stop is when Andy witnesses the fat fresh fish being killed by the officer. The next morning at breakfast he asks what his name was and he is quickly answered that it doesn't matter. This demonstrated the harsh reality of the prison and the inhumane behavior that takes place there. Also, it symbolizes that it can be anyone who is killed by the guards.

The next stop is when he risks his life to offer banking advice to one of the guards in exchange for beers for his fellow inmates. This shows Andy's devotion to not let the men in prison lose their identity. It was done simply to remind the men they are still human beings.

The next stop is when he becomes the financial advisor for all the officers. Andy is given special privileges and he is able to live a more normal life in jail. This challenged his skill set because he was able to launder the warden's money while being incarcerated.
The next stop is when Andy has a very depressing conversation with Red after he was sentenced to solitary confinement for months for doing nothing wrong. Here, his faith is tested the most because his hopeful mindset becomes impossible to keep up.

The next stop is Andy's escape. He symbolically goes through sewage to be freed. Also, the rain is symbolic of his rebirth/renewal when he is finally freed. His character is enriched as he escapes his mental and physical prison.

The final stop is when Andy and Red are reunited in Mexico. Their friendship was able to be
sustained in and out of prison. This final stop shows Andy's goal of reaching the Pacific Ocean and being freed.

In conclusion, The Shawshank Redemption is a prime example of a golden fleece movie because it shows the obstacles and hardships Andy faced from the beginning scene to the very end. Each stop changed Andy's viewpoint on life and developed his character.

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