What does Warden Norton symbolize? Sam Norton is the warden in Shawshank and is described by Red as “ the foulest hypocrite that I ever saw in a high position ” (224). He’s a big-time Christian who quotes the Bible verbatim and has little homilies like “His Judgment Cometh and that Right Early” embroidered and tacked up on his wall.
What was the warden like in Shawshank Redemption?
Sam Norton is the warden in Shawshank and is described by Red as “ the foulest hypocrite that I ever saw in a high position ” (224). He’s a big-time Christian who quotes the Bible verbatim and has little homilies like “His Judgment Cometh and that Right Early” embroidered and tacked up on his wall.
Why did Andy call the warden obtuse?
Near the end of “The Shawshank Redemption,” Andy approaches The Warden after hearing about this new information that could potentially grant him a new trial. But the Warden denies Andy’s plea , causing Andy to call him obtuse.
What symbolism does Brooks pet bird stand for?
Brooks’ Bird (Symbol)
The bird represents Brooks’ nurturing spirit, but it is also a symbol of the push-pull between freedom and confinement . A bird typically flies and symbolizes a will to be free, but here we see a bird that has taken to the confinement of a prison and the protection of a keeper.
How did Andy expose the warden?
Because a newspaper published the evidence : He also mailed the evidence of their financial crimes to the Daily Bugle, presumably along with evidence of his own innocence. When the story was published, Captain Hadley was arrested and Warden Norton committed suicide to avoid arrest for his crimes.
Why didn’t the warden let Andy go?
The Warden didn’t want to let Andy get a new trial and leave Shawshank, because Andy was laundering money for him . After Andy called him obtuse, he sent Andy to the hole. During Andy’s stay in the hole, Tommy was murdered by the Warden and Captain Hadley.
Who is the villain in Shawshank Redemption?
Warden Samuel Norton is the main antagonist in the 1982 Stephen King book Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and its 1994 film adaptation The Shawshank Redemption. He is a corrupt and fanatically religious warden of the Shawshank penitentiary, as well as the boss of prison guard Captain Byron Hadley.
What Shawshank means?
Shawshank. Being put into a position that you can’t get out of either by yourself or others .
Why does Norton not want Andy to get out of Shawshank?
“I like you right where you are, Mr. Dufrensene, and as long as I am warden here at Shawshank, you are going to be right here.”(71) Samuel Norton denied Andy’s request because if he were to leave the prison and go to the outside world he would mostly likely not help him .
What does obtuse mean in Shawshank?
When applied to a person, obtuse means stupid, lacking in perception or understanding . In the movie The Shawshank Redemption, Andy uses the word in reference to the prison warden: Andy: How can you be so obtuse?
What does Jake Symbolise in Shawshank Redemption?
In The Shawshank Redemption, Stephen King brought up freedom in several different ways. Freedom is symbolized in the book pin-ups, rock sculptures, and Jake. The pigeon , Jake was utilized by Stephen King as a symbolism for freedom. Jake has wings that can fly anywhere he wants.
What does red symbolize in Shawshank Redemption?
More important, however, sculpting the pebbles give Andy hope and a means to fend off despair. Giving these sculptures away to Red and other inmates also represents Andy’s ability to transfer his sense of hope —his “inner light” as Red calls it—to some of the other inmates.
What does the harmonica symbolize in Shawshank Redemption?
The harmonica is a talisman, a physical object with emotional meaning, and tied intimately to the central theme of hope . It is raised in the first discussion about hope. It comes up again when Red is feeling down about his 10 year anniversary in prison, Andy’s attempt to remind him about hope.
What was Red’s crime?
Red said he was the only guilty man in Shawshank because he murdered his wife for insurance money by cutting the brakes on her car . He would inadvertantly murder three more when his wife picked up some passengers on the way into town, resulting in Red getting caught.
How much money did Andy leave red?
Eventually Andy emerges from his lengthy depression and tells Red one day that he had a friend set up a false identity for him. Under the false identity, the friend invested $14,000 of Andy’s money, which has since become more than $370,000 .
Why was Tommy killed in The Shawshank Redemption?
The warden calls Tommy in the middle of the night to talk to him outside. The warden asks him whether or not what he said to Andy and Red was the truth. When he answers affirmatively, the warden gives a signal to Captain Hadley to shoot Tommy from a tower . Four shots ring out and Tommy falls to the ground dead.
Who Killed Andy’s wife Shawshank Redemption?
Elmo Blatch is the quaternary antagonist in The Shawshank Redemption. Despite appearing only briefly, he plays an extremely important role in the story. He is the real killer of Andy Dufresne’s wife and her lover, which is the crime Andy was imprisoned for. He was portrayed by Bill Bolender.
Why was Andy called the Even Steven killer?
Andy was called the “even steven killer” because he made sure that he shot his wife and the golfer and even amount of times and the same amount .
Why does Norton refuse Andy?
Samuel Norton
Even though he claims to be a devout Baptist, he accepts bribes from local construction companies so that the Inside-Out program won’t put them out of business. He uses Andy’s financial expertise to hide his illegal earnings and therefore refuses to help Andy win a retrial.
Was Shawshank a true story?
The Shawshank Redemption is based on a Stephen King novella
The Shawshank Redemption isn’t based on a true story , and Frank Darabont didn’t come up with it by himself, either. The movie’s based on Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, a novella first published in Stephen King’s Different Seasons.
Is the ending of Shawshank Redemption a dream?
Frank Darabont’s take on the story was an inspirational tale of hope and perseverance. The grim prison tale ended on a delightfully happy note. But this Shawshank Redemption theory states the ending was fake . The true ending the movie did not show us was Morgan Freeman’s Red dying in the end.
Why was Shawshank Redemption a flop?
Many reasons were cited for its failure at the time, including competition from films such as Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump, the general unpopularity of prison films, its lack of female characters, and even the title, which was considered to be confusing for audiences.
Why was it called Shawshank?
The title refers to Andy’s escape, as well as a shout out to one of the ways he makes life bearable in prison . Even so, it’s a weird collection of words—weird enough for the movie to cut a few words from its title—and it doesn’t make a lot of sense until you read the book. That’s sort of the point.
How Old Is Red in Shawshank Redemption?
Andy Dufresne
King’s novella is told from the perspective of Red, as he recounts the events leading up to the amazing prison break. Andy is the most well described character in the tale: “When Andy came to Shawshank in 1948,” Red details, “he was 30 years old .
Why did Andy change shoes in Shawshank Redemption?
When bloodhounds were turned loose on Andrew Dufrense following discovery of his escape, they were given his scent. But Andy was wearing Warden Norton’s shoes. These shoes were carrying Norton’s scent .
What did Andy call the warden?
Then Andy does the unforgiveable. He calls Norton the O-word (obtuse) . That—and the fact that he references the warden’s shady dealings—lands him in The Hole for an entire month.
What is the grain and drain train?
23. What is the grain and drain train? Solitary confinement . Down 23 steps – only sound was dripping water, Cells were keg-shaped with round, solid doorways.
Is it rude to call someone obtuse?
The adjective obtuse is good for describing someone slow on the uptake : “Don’t be so obtuse: get with the program!” The adjective obtuse literally means “rounded” or “blunt,” but when it’s used for a person, it means “not quick or alert in perception” — in other words, not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Why would it have been ironic if Andy has been offered parole?
Why would it have been ironic if Andy had been offered parole? They would have to clean Andy’s entire cell and he would have been sentenced for longer for attempted escape.
How was Andy’s escape foreshadowed?
When the Warden tells Andy that “Salvation lies within” while inspecting his Bible (with, unknown to the warden, the rock hammer hidden inside) , this foreshadows Andy’s escape. Red’s thoughts of suicide are foreshadowed by his seeing Brooks’ etching on the wall of his room in the halfway house.
What does the library symbolize in Shawshank Redemption?
As a symbol, the library operates on a few different planes in the film. It represents Andy’s relentlessness, society’s dismissiveness of the inmates, and, as all libraries are, an entrance to a world beyond one’s own borders . Expanding the library is Andy’s pet project for all those reasons.
How is Andy a symbol of hope in Shawshank Redemption?
Hope is what distinguishes him from his fellow inmates. It’s the thing that keeps him focused and prevents his lapsing into depression or pity . Andy tells his friend, “Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” You’re never a prisoner if you keep hoping for the future.
What gift does Andy give red?
Andy gifts Red a harmonica upon learning that he was a good player once. Red, who had given up playing it since it ‘didn’t make much sense in jail’ starts playing it. In 1963, with ‘Inside Out’ program being implemented, Andy tells Red a lot about the Warden’s scams and how he is helping the Warden launder the money.
What is the significance of the gift that Andy gives to red?
It is like the beauty of music, like Andy said, “They can’t get that from you.” He gave Red a harmonica as a spiritual gift to emphasize that what can go beyond reality is human inner strength . Andy’s rebirth was embodied in the poster with the word “Mother” on top, which ultimately renewed Red’s mindset.
How is corruption shown in Shawshank Redemption?
Corruption and Crime
Shawshank blurs the line between right and wrong and challenges the notion that isolating and reforming criminals will turn them into law-abiding citizens. Instead, the prison is a den of corruption, greed, bribery, and money laundering .
Why did Brooks hang himself?
He gets a small apartment and a job at a grocery store, but the problem is that he feels out of step in the world having not been a part of it for half a century . This leads to him tragically and memorably committing suicide at the age of 73, leaving “Brooks was here” carved into the wall of his apartment.
