Character Analysis
"Red"emption
We 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 for the insurance money and admits that he did it—making him a comparative rarity in Shawshank and a suitably honest man to tell the story. We can trust him because he doesn't change the facts, even when they paint him as a cold-blooded killer.
Red is also "the guy who can get it for you" (1).
He runs a contraband operation in the prison designed to smuggle in things that cons aren't supposed to have, like booze, milkshakes and giant posters hiding man-sized holes in the walls (The latter being what brought Red and Andy together, of course). Red might play an important role within the prison, but as the story goes on, we realize that his big-shot status behind bars masks the fact that he's actually scared to death of the outside world: "In here I'm the man who can get it for you, yeah. But out there, anyone can get it for you" (371). Red believes his skills are only important in prison; he's only an important person in prison. Small wonder, then, that he's in no a big hurry to get out of Shawshank. At all.
All this becomes important when we look at the role hope plays in this story. Red has been imprisoned, but his prison is more than just walls and bars, it's also in his mind. He has grown so used to prison life that he can't think of any other kind. Andy frees him from this mindset by the end of the story and helps him to see life as more than just confinement. This process starts early, when Andy gives Red the polished rocks: "For a few minutes it was like I didn't even dare touch them, they were so pretty" (135), Judging by his reaction, it seems like Red is really moved by Andy's gesture. This process continues for years as Andy and Red's friendship deepens, but it only really hits home when Andy escapes and Red begins to miss him:
"The part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure." (505)
That's pretty heavy for just a friendship. He wouldn't be that way without Andy's efforts.