Shawshank+Redemption



[|PJS article about 2009 prison break inspired by Shawshank]

[|Wikipedia entry on Stanford Prison Experiment]

Class notes 4/1 (recorded by Kevin Whalen): Prison Systems

- Punish - Rehabilitate - Keep people safe - Economic - Deter

3.1% of the American population is involved with or in prison…7 million people.

Stanford prison experiment - It was a study of the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The experiment was conducted from August 14th to 20th - Experiment got out of hand and guards started to treat it like a real prison by making them d push ups and not letting them sleep. - Zimbardo started to act as it he were a warden.

Class notes 4/4 (recorded by Kate Carroll):

Red is the narrator, and Andy is the main character. Red is a good narrator because we get an outside perspective of Andy’s life, not just his own. The first time watching it, the audience doesn’t really know if he’s innocent or guilty until the end. The guard seems to be a more believable character than the warden. Andy takes an indirect route of approaching the guard about the $35,000. This causes more troubles. Scene with drinking beer on roof They feel normal, happy, and free. The music in this scene is nice. It doesn’t take away from the point of the scene. Violence in the movie set the tone of the movie, and it made it more effective. The audience never sees Andy right after he is attacked. The movie doesn’t show them beating him really; they just show him awhile afterwards. Hope: Red probably had the same perspective as Andy when he first started out, but then he lost it over the years. Andy must have hope or his project to escape would never work. Is it worth being really sad to become really happy?