book report

10b3

Lee Do Hyun

Reading Journal-Different Seasons

Camouflage

           This book ‘Different Seasons’ is well known as movie ‘Shawshank redemption.’ As I read this book, I had a question that who is main character: Red or Andy. People would think Red is just a character who narrates Andy’s story, and Andy is a character who actually gives theme of this book. So, people would think that Andy is the main character of this story. But, I believe that main character of ‘Different Season’ is ‘Red’ and this story is about interaction between Andy and Red.  

           The most crucial evidence is in the end of this story. In the end, the story only focuses on the Red who lives in outer life, another name for life as non-prisoner’s life. But as he lives in the outer life, Red finds out that he could not adjust to new world. At the end, the book mentions ‘It’s all about me, every damned word of it.’ In this book Red is using Andy to reflect himself as a change man or a man who are looking for hope.

           One part of the hero’s journey is a ‘meeting mentor,’ and many readers think ‘Red’ as a mentor of ‘Andy.’ But, I believe that Red’s mentor is Andy. Red as you see, he failed to parole. Although, it is not only his problem to get fail on the parole, but it means that he didn’t rehabilitated. But, he met freshman ‘Andy,’ who have good attitude and who is really ‘innocent.’ He adjusted to the Shawshank life not like others but morally. Red is interested on Andy and became a friend with him, and he changed the mind. He was just a prisoner who lived without ‘HOPE.’ But, as he talks with Andy and learning from Andy’s behaviors, he had hope to live. To live morally who regret himself as a prisoner, and who have hope to have new life. Like this, Andy is mentor of Red who gave him HOPE to start a new life.

           Hope is a main theme of this Shawshank redemption. There are many things that symbolize hope in this story as well. The picture of Rita Hayworth is one of them. Including poster of Rita Hayworth, other women represent outside world, hope, and desire to live normally. Rita Hayworth is a woman who reminds Andy to look forward to live outside life and keeps him alive. This picture gives motivation to Andy, to break the wall and go to the outer life. Also, rocks and hammers is another symbol of hope to normal life. By keeping his habits of making arts, he could remain different from other inmates. This behavior is one of his behaviors to pursue normal life. He also gives his works to other prisoners which mean spreading hope to the others.

           Not only hope but also, it shows the corruption and bad side of human. People living in the Shawshank are literally bad guys, who made crimes: murder, thief and so on. But, I am not going to talk about the things that prisoners did to come to the Shawshank. People in the Shawshank are looking for self-satisfactory in corrupted way like drugs, gay sex and violence. They are always looking for ecstasy not happiness.