Shawshank Redemption: Why Brooks Is In Prison
The question of why Brooks in prison in The Shawshank Redemption is one of many ambiguous aspects of the narrative. The award-winning 1994 prison drama, adapted from Stephen King's Different Seasons — specifically, the novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption — not only shortened the title considerably but brought the original story to life in what has since become one of the most beloved films of all time. Its message of hope and perseverance has made it one of cinema's most iconic films, but there are a few questions that the film doesn't explicitly answer.
One such question concerns Brooks Hatlen, the elderly prisoner who acted as Shawshank's librarian, also known as the man who keeps his pet crow inside his coat. In The Shawshank Redemption, Brooks is shown to be one of Shawshank Prison's longest-serving inmates, serving a total of approximately 50 years before his release. Despite deleted scenes revealing more about Brooks' bird, The Shawshank Redemption never actually explains what Brooks did to earn such a lengthy prison sentence.
Related: Why Shawshank Redemption Removed Rita Hayworth From The Movie’s Title
In the film, the closest Brooks gives to an explanation for his incarceration is when he refers to himself as «an old crook». That's an awfully vague reason for serving a life sentence, but thankfully, King's original story offers a more definitive answer to the question. In Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, Red explains exactly why Brooks had served such a long sentence: the kindly old librarian murdered his own family.
Despite Brooks' arc serving as a cautionary tale for Andy about the dangers of institutionalization, the apparently gentle old soul hid a much darker side. Whether
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