Institutionalism

A Theme developed in Shawshank Redemption

Convicted criminals are sent to prison to be rehabilitated so that one day they will no longer pose a threat to citizens on the outside.

This is not the case at Shawsank Prison

Shawshank, in Reality, is a Place of Permenant Confinment, and Institutionalism  Its system strives to eliminate the tiniest of hope of freedom from their prisoners.

 Shawshank’s system in action is shown through the character Brooks.

Brooks Institutionalized

 Early on in the movie Brooks, a prisoner in the jail for over 50 years, discovers he will soon be set free. Brooks is horrified, and attacks an inmate in hopes his act of violence will revoke his parole.

 “It’s the only way they’ll let me stay!”

Red’s Words About Brooks

• • • “These walls are funny…first you hate them, then you get used to them, then you depend on them…that’s institutionalized.” “They send you hear for life, that’s exactly what they take, the part that counts anyway.” “In here he’s somebody, out there he’s nobody.” Brooks has been in prison too long to know how to function on the outside world.

Brooks on the Outside

 The Shawshank Redemption films a montage to show viewers Brooks experience as a free man.

         Narration Medium shot on bus Work He has trouble sleeping Long Shot of Crossing Street Buying Gun “Send me home.” Long shot in park Close-up of hands

Institutionalism: Brooks’s Demise

  Brooks commits suicide because he is unable to cope with life outside of prison.

As he is preparing for his death viewers see a close-up of his face smiling through the railings of the ceiling’s pillar.

 This signifies that Brook’s was a happy man in prison. He does not like his freedom. He commits suicide to escape it.

Red’s Comments

 When Red and Andy hear the news of Brooks’s death Red’s reaction is, “He should have died in here.”  Brooks should have died at home



The Force of Institutionalism: The Warden and the Prison System

The Warden presents the image of a religious man who would like to see his inmates rehabilitated by the power of God   Cross-stitch Bible  In reality the Warden is an evil, corrupt man who could not care less about his prisoners.

   Bible and cross-stitch used to hide true personna.

Uses inmates as slave labor for his work program.

Does not allow Andy to leave prison, and kills Billy the only person who could testify to Andy’s innocence.

 The parole board is an example of how Shawshank’s prison system is a force of institutionalism.

    Red’s parole hearings Routieness of his answers o “Yes sir…without a doubt…no danger to society here” Close-up of “Rejected Stamp” Viewers can see the cold-blooded murderer in Red no longer exists. They know he is a changed man, a good man, but yet the parole continues to deny him the freedom he deserves.

Andy: A Force Working Against Institutionism

   Andy hangs on to the life he lived before he was sent to prison.

 Montage of taxes for guards Andy has hope.

He spreads it throughout prison by playing music   Montage of prisoners listening to record player Giving the Harmonica to Red  Instrument of music     Andy gives this to Red after his parole is rejected Andy tries to give Red hope so he can avoid the same fate as Brooks’s Red will not play it for Andy Later on when he is alone in cell gives it one small whistle

  Andy confronts Warden on his policies of institutionalism when he rejects his plea for a new trial.

  Calls him “Obtuse” His actions are deliberate. He wants to keep Andy in prison.

Andy escapes from prison.    Spends 20 years digging a tunnel Crawls through septic pipe Arial shot when reaches the outside.

“Get Bust Living or Get Busy Dying”

  Andy recognizes the importance to have hope and to live for something, or else life isn’t worth living. Andy refuses to sit in his cell for 80 years and wait to die.

The hope of one day returning to the outside world is what allows him to regain his freedom at the end of the film.