Let's face it: Any story set in a prison will inevitably explore the nature of suffering in some way or another. We get plenty of prison brutality in Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption: Guards doing bad things to prisoners, rapists doing bad things to other prisoners, even guys like Elwood Blatch—who we don't even freaking see—doing things to mess up Andy's life.
We're talking about more than just good old-fashioned, run-of-the-mill suffering—Shawshank stresses mental and emotional suffering too. You know, the kind of suffering you don't see, but still leaves a mark. Institutionalization, for instance, is a good example of mental suffering (Red can't even pee normally when he gets out of prison). In this story, King wants us to understand different kinds of suffering, as well as the ways that Andy and Red overcome them.
Questions About Suffering
- What causes Andy's deepest suffering? How about Red? What kinds of ways do they learn to cope with it?
- Does Andy inflict suffering against those who torment him? How, specifically?
- In this story, is mental suffering more painful than physical suffering? How, specifically?
- Is there any justice behind the suffering that goes on in the story: any case where the person suffering has it coming? Cite specific examples.