Persuasive Essay on the Shawshank RedemptionENGL 1301Spring 2014 “Keep hope alive!” » "Yes! We can." These are all inspirational slogans that define the human spirit. Without hope, life would be boring, with nothing to work on in a positive way. In the film The Shawshank Redemption (1994), director Frank Darabot uses time and space to slowly unveil author Stephen King's short story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. Time serves as a dual reference to torture and as a locus for the slow, eventual realization of Andy's escape, his seemingly impossible goal for nearly twenty-eight years. Shawshank redefines the passage of time for inmates, especially for "lifers" like Andy and Red, who can only look forward to death. The hours can seem like an eternity, and each day seems like a blur to the next, adding to the isolation and distress of imprisonment. Ironically, however, time also verifies Andy's means of escape and redemption and gives him optimism throughout his quarter-century in Shawshank. The film stars Tim Robbins as Andrew "Andy" Dufresne and Morgan Freeman as Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding. The film depicts Andy spending nearly two decades in Shawshank State Prison, a surreal reformatory in Maine, and his friendship with Red, a fellow inmate, which gradually develops over the years. Therefore, the three reasons why the director wanted to produce this film are to reveal hope, despair and integrity. Red describes the reasons eloquently: “All I know for sure is that Andy Dufresne wasn't much like me or anyone else I've known. . . . It was a kind of inner light that he carried with him. » Through the events in a prison that occur in the middle of paper......the underlying theme that drives the story and the film, propels the reader and viewer to rekindle the desire to hope above all else , because hope is all we have in devastating and urgent needs. Hope overcomes despair, allows others to see your “inner light” to develop integrity linked to honesty and trust. Hope is the inspiration to continue living regardless of circumstances. Red may have told; “Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man crazy. But Andy Dufresne says it best: “Get busy living or dying.” » Work Cited Darabot, Frank and Stephen King (1993) Rita Hayworth & Shawshank Redemption: Screenplay. Netflix.com Accessed 04/7/2014King, Stephen. Different Seasons March 22, 2010. “Rita Haywood and the Shawshank Redemption” on amazon.com. 4/1/14.