Red tells us fairly early that Andy didn't commit the crime he's been jailed for, which is confirmed years later when Tommy Williams shows up. Yet, Andy still gets to rot away in his cell for thirty years with nothing but Red and his pin-up posters for company. That ain't right, but it's not the only thing in Shawshank that ain't right. People get rewarded for doing bad things, and sometimes the bad guys walk away scot-free (Okay, not Warden Norton, but still…). Justice in this story only comes when you fight for it, and even then it's still not guaranteed. King seems to want us to understand how arbitrary justice can be and how, even when things are unfair, there's not always a whole lot you can do about it.
Questions About Injustice
- How important is it that Red is guilty of murder and Andy is innocent?
- Does Norton receive real justice in the story? Why or why not?
- Aside from being in prison, what injustices does Andy suffer during the book? How about Red? Is there any sense of forethought to the injustices in the book? Or is it all just random? Cite examples from the work.
Chew on This
Injustice makes hope stronger in the book, and fuels Andy's fire to make things right.
Injustice crushes all hope and Andy has to escape his or else have his spirit destroyed by it.