肖申克的救赎论文.docx
《肖申克的救赎论文.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《肖申克的救赎论文.docx(14页珍藏版)》请在冰点文库上搜索。
肖申克的救赎论文
肖申克的救赎》中的救赎主题浅析
AnAnalysisoftheThemeofRedemptionin
TheShawshankRedemption
Ⅰ.Introduction
ThefilmTheShawshankRedemptionwhichisadaptedfromthesamenamenovelofStephenKinghasleftadeepimpressiononthepeople.Fromthetitleofthefilm,itisnotdifficulttoseethatthefilmistalkingabouttheissueofredemption.Thenwhatisredemption?
TheLordJesusinTheGospelhasprovidedaroadtoredemptionforus.Theso-called“save”isrevealingthedistressofhumanbeings;so-called“redemption”isthatthewaytoachieveourgoals.WhattheChristiansaremostconcernedaboutiswhethertheirsincanbepardonedandtheirsoulscanbesavedornot.AllthosearevividlyembodiedinTheShawshankRedemption.
Thestorybeginswiththetrialofayoungbanker,AndyDufrense,victimizedbycircumstantialevidence,resultinginaconvictionforthemurderofhiswifeandherlover.HeissentencedtotwoconsecutivelifesentencesatShawshankStatePrison.Heexistsinthisprisononlyinappearance,keepinghismindfreefromthedrabwallsaroundhim.Hisabilitytodothisresultsinthegainingofrespectfromhisfellowinmates.Andy’sdemeanorandundeniablesenseofhopecauseRedtotakeadeeperlookathimself,andtheworldaroundhim.AndyprovestoRedandtheotherinmatesthatintheconventionalwallsofShawshankprisonconventionwillfindnohomeinhislifestyle.Andykeepshopeallthetime.Hespendstwentyyearstotunnelingthewall,andthencrawlingfivehundredyardtothebeautifulnewworld.Throughhisownefforts,Andynotonlyescapesfromtheprison,butalsosavesagroupofinmates.
Thefilminspiresustolovelifeandedifiesustothinkabouttheimportanceoflivingandnottoloseourselves.Italsogivesapositiveforceandthecouragetofacedifficultiestous.Itmakesustorealizethatordinarylifeisvaluable.Inprison,Andyovercomesallthedifficultieswithhisamazingdeterminationduringhisprogress.Whywecannotaffordthepainandsufferingoflife?
Theauthorholdsthatweshouldneverlosehopeanddignityinanytime.
Peopleoftengetusedtolife.Theyareaccustomedtothesurroundingenvironment,fromschoolstotheworkenvironment,fromsocialpracticetofamilylife.Theyhavegoals,butastheyearsgobythegoalsgraduallyfaded,astheyhadbeeninstitutionalized.TheShawshankRedemptionhelpsre-examinelifeandfindthedreamsagain.Andyretrieveshisfreedomatlast.Timeandperseverancecanhelpachieveeverything.Peopleshouldtreatwellwiththeirownlivesandrealizethedreams!
Ⅱ.TheOriginandConnotationofRedemption
WhenthethoughtthateveryChristianisguiltyandneedsredemptionhasbecomeadeep-rootedtraditionwhichrootsineveryonelivingintheChristianculturebackground,thethinkingabouthowtogetredemptionandwhatisthevalueofredemptiontohumanbeingsisengagedactively.
2.1TheOrigin
First,lookatthetitleofthefilm─TheShawshankRedemption.Thetermof“redemption”originatesintheBible:
“Zionshallberedeemedwithjudgment;andherconvertswithrighteousness.”(Bible,2000:
15)
“RedemptionisoneofthemostbasicdoctrinesofChristianity.ItmeansifpeoplealwayshavethefearandfaithtowardsGod,theywillsurelygetGod’sredemption.ChristianityholdsthatbecauseoftheancestorsofhumanbeingsviolateGod’swill,andthereforetheyareguiltypersons.InordertoultimatelyacquireredemptionofGod,humansmustrepentinthislifeandkeepafirmbeliefinGod."(Maigelaen,2003:
3)
Christianityisawayoflife,alsoamanifestationofvalues,ethicsandculturalvalues.ItinfluencesprofoundlyallaspectsofAmericanlife.Therefore,thesecularmeaningofthisChristiandoctrinehasalsobeendeveloped:
onlykeepingfaith,peoplecangethope,savethemselvesandtheworld,too.
Onthefirstday,Andywitnessedtherejectionoftheoldprisoners,thecrueltyofprisonguards,andthehypocrisyofthewarden.JustenteredthedoorofShawshank,Andyandtheothernewprisonershadbecomepawnsinabetandobjectsforfunbytheoldprisoners.Fromthatmoment,thenewprisonerswouldbebullied.Inthehalloftheprison,thewardensolemnlyannounced:
“Ibelieveintwothings:
disciplineandtheBible.Here,youwillreceiveboth.PutyourtrustintheLord.Yourassbelongstome.”Thereisnodoubtthatitisawarningtothenewprisoners.Thereisnothingintheprisonexceptobedience,notjustoperational,butalsospiritual.Andyunderstoodthattheydidnothavetherighttosaynointheprison.Whenthewardenasked“anyquestions”,oneasked:
“Whendoweeat?
”Thewardenstaredathimandimpliedtheprisonguard,andthentheprisonguardwalkedoverandroared:
“Youeatwhenwesayyoueat.Youshitwhenwesayyoushit,andpisswhenwesayyoupiss.”Asaresult,hegotablow.ThisshockedAndyalot.Heknewthatifhesaidsomethinginappropriately,hemightbethenextonetobebeaten.ThenewprisonerswhojustarrivedattheShawshankfromthefreeworldsufferedexclusionandhumiliationfromtheoldprisoners.ButAndydidnotwanttogiveuphisdignity.Therewasnodoubtthatthefirstnightwasthetoughest.Whenputincell,oldlifeblownawayintheblinkofaneye.Nothingleftbutallthetimeintheworldtothinkaboutit.Mostnewprisonerscametomadnessthefirstnight.Thatinnocentfatboywasbadlybeatenupbytheprisonguardanddied,becausehecouldnotwithstandothers’provocationandcried.Allofthosehappenedonthefirstday.Itshowsthatiftheyarenotstrongenough,theycannotprotectthemselvesatall.However,itisenoughforAndytounderstandonethingthatitishardtogetridofthecharge.SoAndydecidestodosomethingforhimself.Hestartstomakeaplantoescapefromtheprison.Thisistheoriginofredemption.
2.2TheConnotation
“Sincethe20thcentury,alongwiththedevelopmentofindustrializedsocieties,peoplearedoubtaboutthewesternculture,capitalismandthenatureofhuman,whicheventuallyleadingtosomelossoffaith.Inthisdarkworld,humanbeingshavetostruggletosurvive;wemustmakeeveryefforttofindawayout.”(罗建波,丁旭2008:
06)
Whereistheway?
Howtofinditout?
Thisfilmaboutredemptionprovidestheanswerforpeople.Whatisthepowerofthestoryforredemption?
Itisthedignityandbelief.Andredeemforwhat?
Itisfreedomandhope.Redemptionisawar:
awaraboutfreedombreakingimprisonment,hopeprevailingoverdespair;awartofightforhumandignity.
Andyissucceeded.Duringthisprocess,theChristiandoctrineredemptionplaysaveryimportantrole.Itisbecauseofthis,Andyhasalwaysbeenfilledwiththehopetoliveinfreedom,hasnevergivenupthepursuitoffreedom,whichisdeeplyaffectedhisfriends,Red.Redisre-freedwithAndy’shelp.
“Attheendofthefilm,theazureblueskyandbluesea,symbolizetheidealfreedom;andthatsmallboatandtwooldfriends’smileisasymbolofhopeforabetterfuture.Thisendhasbeenabletoimpresspeople;itisbecauseoffreedomandhopethatitwillblendperfectly.”(DongCongbin,2006:
17)
Inthefilm,Andygivesaverygoodcommentonhope“Donotforgetthatthereareplacesintheworldthatarenotmadeoutofstone.Thereissomethinginsidethattheycannotgettothattheycannottouch.Thatisyours.Thatishope.”Indeed,theprisonwallscanbindphysicalfreedom,andeveninstitutionalizedthingscanbindspiritualfreedom,butonlyhopethatcannotbegivenup.Lifewithouthopeisdark,lifeless,orevenmeaningless.Hopeisakindofflowerthatbloomsinthedream.Withdreamsandhope,wecanembracethefuture.
Ⅲ.Andy’sSelf-redemptionandHisRedemptiontoOthers
Intheprison,throughhisactions,Andynotonlychangeshisowndestiny,butalsodeeplyaffectstheotherprisoners.SoAndy’sredemptionisnotjustanindividualbehavior,butabehaviorofagroup.ItisentirelyconsistentwiththedefinitionofredemptioninChristianity.Thefilmusesastrongreligiousterms–“redemption”,whenitillustratestheprocessofAndy’sresistance.Tracingthereligiousoriginofthisword,wecaneasilyrecallthestoryofJesustosavesouls.Andyneverforgetsthathopeisthesavior,whichsavesthedesireforfreedom.(Chen,2008:
15)
3.1Andy’sSelf-redemption
Andysuccessfullyescapesfromtheprison.Whathelpshimtoachieveself-redemption?
Itisthedesireforfreedominhismindandtheexistenceofhope!
Hope,whichfollowsGod’swill,sleepsonthosepageshollowedintheBible,attachesonAndy’sbody,andcreepsuponthe500yards’sewer.Atlast,thatuniquedirtysewersendsAndytothebeautifulnewworld.
3.1.1PhysicalRedemption
Andy,abankhigh-levelwhite-collarworker,wasframedformurderinghiswifeandwassentencedtwolifeimprisonmentsinShawshankprison.Freedomisforbiddeninprison.Andyhastofacetheprisonwallsandrailingseveryday.Hedesiresforredemption,becauseheisfullofhopetolifeandyearningforfreedom.However,therealityshowsthatonceyoucometoShawshank,itishardtoexpectfreedom.Theonlythingiswillingtobeaslave,mustacceptthefateofbeingpunished,justlikealambwaitingtobekilled.Behindtheprisonwallsandrailings,therearetwochoices:
putupyourhandshelplessly,acceptthearrangementgivenbythefate;orclenchfists,findoutawaytofreedom.DevoutChristianAndychoosesthelatter.Becausehebelievestheredemption,butalsoconvincesthat“Iwoundupinhere.Badluck,Iguess.Itfloatsaround.Itisgottolandonsomebody.Itwasmyturn.Iwasinthepathofthetornado.Ijustdidnotexpectthestormwouldlastaslongasithas.Ididnotshootmywife,andIdidnotshoo