Meet the Cast
Andy Dufresne
Whose Story is It, Anyway?There's some question as to whether Andy or Red is the real protagonist of the story. Near the end of the story, Red claims it's him, not Andy: "Well, you weren't writing...
Red
"Red"emptionWe never learn Red's last name, only that he's Irish and has red hair "half grey and starting to recede" (219) after he's been in prison a while. We also know that he killed his wife fo...
Sam Norton
Jesus, Take the WheelSam Norton is the warden in Shawshank and is described by Red as "the foulest hypocrite that I ever saw in a high position" (224). He's a big-time Christian who quotes the Bibl...
The Other Wardens
A Real Dirty DozenShawshank mentions two other wardens who oversee the prison during Red's tenure: George Dunahy, "a prissy-looking downcast Yankee" (142) and Greg Stammas, "a short man with a tigh...
Byron Hadley
The BullySpeaking of corruption… Bryon is one of the guards at Shawshank prison. He remains in his position longer than some of the wardens and shares in plenty of the corruption. He's "a tall, s...
Tommy Williams
Snitches Get…Special Treatment?Tommy is a young prisoner who brings in key plot information when he reveals that someone else probably killed Andy's wife. He's a professional thief, and as Red ex...
Bogs Diamond and the Sisters
Nothing Nun-ly About ThemOther characters represent the corruption in the prison. Bogs and the sisters represent the brutality. They're a rape gang, "doing hard bullets for brutal crimes. Their pre...
Brooks Hatlen
Freedom is a State of MindLike Byron Hadley, Brooks plays a much bigger role in the movie of Shawshank than the book. He's the original librarian, whose job Andy takes over. We don't see much of Br...