I don’t remember exactly when, but as I read the book, I recalled watching the film “Shawshank Redemption” in still suspense. I considered the film as a prison break story of one clever man, but after reading the book, I could see that it wasn’t all about just one man. Rather, as the narrative states, “Andy was the part of me… that will rejoice no matter how old and broken and scared the rest of me is.”, it is a story of Andy and the narrative, and essentially of the universal personality that pertains to every human: the unbent hope for freedom.
At first, I was appalled by the graphic details of rape and violence in the prison and it felt as though the prison was a completely detached setting from our everyday world. However, I realized that after all, Shawshank prison may only be a microcosm of our world. Prisoners are indeed more physically restricted by bars and walls surrounding them than the “free men” walking freely outside, but the question of freedom brought me to a halt. Can we call ourselves free men?
We can’t deny that we are institutionalized in some way. Of course, we take it for granted that we can go to a shop or a bathroom, buy things, and meet people as we wish, but to a certain extent, we live bounded by the social norms, culture, rules, and small and big groups we belong to. Just as prisoners feel daunted to be allowed so much freedom when they are released after years in a prison, people need a period of adaptation whenever they are introduced to new environment.
I’ve also had an interestingly similar experience of being gradually institutionalized. When I first came to KMLA, I was suffocated by strict rules. I hated having to wake up at six o’ clock in the morning, dragging myself to go to morning exercise, being not even allowed to eat during self study time, and getting penalty points for sleeping when I couldn’t resist it. I thought, “For sixteen years, I’ve managed time and study well. Why do I have to follow these rules when I can do well on my own?” To me, the rules seemed unnecessary. However, now, I don’t find so much discomfort adjusting to KMLA life. Instead, when I become lax at home, I wish I were at school because it’s easier to self-control. The fact that there are rules, routines, and people to guard you can be comforting in a sense because self-control is hard for most people. In that sense, though the prison seemed too horrible a place to live, I could understand some prisoners’ resistance to being released.
Another question I had was, “What keeps people to live even in horrible conditions like prisons?”. While contemplating on this question by thinking of differences between Andy and other prisoners, I found that it was a possibility and hope of making a change. Andy wasn’t discouraged by a life sentence perhaps mainly because he figured a way of escaping, but I think that the library business also served a significant role as his mental support. He contributed to improving the library condition and making it the best prison library in the state. The fact that he could still make things change was hope and enough reason for his existence. There is a real-life example as well of how important one’s ability to make changes is. Shi Chang Won was imprisoned for life for murder and since the capture, he has lived in solitary for more than ten years. In prison, however, he was a model prisoner, working and learning hard, and not committing any single act of violence for ten years. He also sent letters to an official to explain his determination to improve prison conditions and read books and papers to specify his plan. But he soon found no hope, and attempted suicide. Hope of making changes on the basis of freedom to conduct one’s plans to realize the hope is, I believe, a major motivation for people to live.
As the last comment, the most memorable line was “Hope for the best and expect the worst,” by Andy. Neither optimism nor pessimism is good. I tend to be pessimistic in many situations, but with this quote in mind, I’ll be able to deal with the problem at hand with reasonable optimism and preparedness.
Excellent post, and you really provide some clear insight into the theme of hope. I'm not questioning my own "freedom" and wondering if I'm institutionalized. I don't think I am, but part of we wonders if I could benefit from the experience. How would it change a person? How did it change Andy? If he'd stayed "free" what king of life would he have lived, and would he have achieved anything as great as a hole in a concrete wall? The story puts a lot into perspective, and your KMLA comparison reflects that. Good stuff.
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