Shawshank Redemption (Quotes)

Key Scene Opening/Central Character (Andy attempts to defend himself, makes him seem to be cold)

Since I am innocent of this crime, sir I find it decidedly inconvenient that the gun was never found

Key Scene Opening/Central Character (Judge comments on Andy’s cold demeanor, negatively affects our impression of central character)

You strike me as a particularly icy and remorseless man, Mr. Dufresne.

Key Scene Opening/Society (The prisoners expect to be rejected, highlights the lack of forgiveness in society)

I’m up for rejection next week

Andy’s words to Red before escaping

I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Red reminisces on Andy’s escape, ruminating on how he misses his friend (Relationships)

Sometimes it makes me sad though … I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. When they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice

Andy comments about hope to Red in his letter

Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best thing, and no good thing ever dies

Warden warns against blasphemy and says that the prisoners are at his mercy (Religion)

You’ll get two things: Discipline and The Bible. Rule No.1: No Blasphemy. Your ass belongs to me

Other prisoners dub a fellow prisoner by a derogatory term

Fatass

Andy shown to be cold and uncaring by having no reaction to being in prison

He never made a sound

Red’s initial description of Andy

Tall glass of water with the silver spoon up his ass

Red comments on why Andy got them beer

I think he did it to feel normal again

Andy explains why he requested for beer (Gender Roles)

I think a man workin’ outdoors feels more like a man if he can have a bottle of suds

Warden’s line when he hands Andy the bible back (ironic)

Salvation lies within

Society does not want to spend money on rehabilitation

More walls, more bars, more guards

Andy explains how prison has corrupted him

On the outside, I was an honest man, straight as an arrow, I had to come to prison to be a crook

Brook’s states that attacking Heywood will keep him in prison

It’s the only way they’ll let me stay

Brooks is valued in prison, on the outside he’s useless

In here he’s an important man, an educated man. Outside he’s nothing. Just a used up con

Red explains why Brooks doesn’t want to leave

These walls are funny. First you hate ‘em, then you get used to ‘em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That’s institutionalised

Red comments on how you get sent in for life and that’s what they take

They send you here for life, and that’s exactly what they take. The part that counts, anyway

Brooks finds the life and speed of the outside to be foreign

I can’t believe how fast things move on the outside

Brooks is scared of the outside, stuck in the same way he arrived and irredeemable

I’m tired of being afraid all the time

Music is shown to be a balm for the prisoners

For the briefest of moments, every last man at Shawshank felt free

Andy feels that music cannot be taken away along with hope

That’s the beauty of music. They can’t get that from you. That’s yours, Hope

Andy asks Hadley if he trusts his wife, highlights the negative view of relationships

Mr. Hadley, do you trust your wifeA

Andy wants to stop the money laundering after Tommy’s death

I’m done, everything stops, get someone else to run your scams

Andy yells at the warden when he refuses to let him have a re-trial

It’s my life. Don’t you understand

Red admires Andy’s determination to escape

Andy crawled through 500 yards of shit-smelling foulness I can’t even imagine

Red ruminates of Andy’s journey, his journey to escape mirrors his escape from shawshank

Andy Dufresne, who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side

Red’s view on Andy’s social class outside of Shawshank (Setting and social class)

Might’a been important on the outside, but in here he was just a little turd in prison grays

Even the most violent prisoners like Bogs recognise that they can’t beat the guards (Setting and Social Class)

It’s your world, boss

Andy jokes with Dekins, asking which college he wants his kids to go to, but both men know that his sons attending expensive schools is unlikely (Setting and Social Class)

Mr. Dekins, do you want your sons to go to Harvard or Yale?

Bogs wants to exert his power on Andy after Andy threatens him with a bite-reflex and after he had punched Rooster’s nose (Gender Roles)

Now I'm gonna open my fly, and you're gonna swallow what I give you to swallow .. you little fuck!

Heywood falsly comforts Fatass, originally telling him he will be alright, before suggesting that plenty of men would love the opportunity to rape him

This ain’t such a bad place… I know some big ol’ bull queers who’d love to make your acquaintance.

Ink Spots song “If I didn’t care“ highlights how Andy does care for his wife, and disproving how his wife thinks he is distant as his feelings prove that he does indeed care

If I didn’t care, would I feel this way? If this isn’t love then why do I thrill?

Prosecutor suggests that Andy killing his wife as a crime of passion is not horrible, highlighting how women were viewed at the time and how men were expected to resort to violence

Hot-blooded crime of passion. That could at least be understood if not condqoned.

Red is excited to see his friend again after being released

I hope to see my friend and shake his hand

Warden threatens Andy with rape and violence if he does not continue the laundering

Cast you down with the Sodomites. You'll think you've been fucked by a train!