Shawshank Redemption: Andy Dufresne Is Jesus - Theory Explained
A pervasive theory about The Shawshank Redemption is that Andy Dufresne is a metaphorical Jesus Christ, and the theory actually makes sense. Christ figures are common in fiction. Particularly in movies, Jesus Christ-like symbolism is fairly easy to spot. For instance, Neo's messianic journey as the Chosen One in The Matrix, Alex Murphy's grueling rebirth in Robocop, and Superman's superpowered martyrdom in Man of Steel are all direct analogies to the Passion of Jesus. But movies don't necessarily need to resort to hyperbolic stories in order to do justice to the Christian tradition. Cinematic retellings of the birth, death, and rebirth of the son of God can also be more subtle.
The Shawshank Redemption is certainly a movie that dives deep into the human condition. All prisoners inside Shawshank experience drastic transformations during their sentences, and even the people that put them through hell go through similar changes. In Shawshank Redemption, «Red» Redding, played by Morgan Freeman, learns to hold onto hope despite a whole lifetime of parole rejections. Brooks, instead, loses all sense of hope when he finally gets a taste of what freedom feels like, and Warden Norton succumbs to his hypocritical values when he's forced to answer for his cruel deeds. More importantly, Andy Dufresne's own journey is what allows all of this to happen.
Related: Why The Shawshank Redemption Hid Its Stephen King Connection
The well-mannered banker Andy Dufresne is given two life sentences at Shawshank for a crime he didn't commit. Unlike many of the inmates at Shawshank, Dufresne accepts his fate with composure. Like Jesus, Andy does suffer like everybody else, and he bears the brunt of the guards and fellow prisoners' brutality.
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