A pervasive theory about The Shawshank Redemption is that Andy Dufresne is a metaphorical Jesus Christ, and the theory actually makes sense. Christ figures are common in fiction. Particularly in movies, Jesus Christ-like symbolism is fairly easy to spot. For instance, Neo's messianic journey as the Chosen One in The Matrix, Alex Murphy's grueling rebirth in Robocop, and Superman's superpowered martyrdom in Man of Steel are all direct analogies to the Passion of Jesus. But movies don't necessarily need to resort to hyperbolic stories in order to do justice to the Christian tradition. Cinematic retellings of the birth, death, and rebirth of the son of God can also be more subtle.

The Shawshank Redemption is certainly a movie that dives deep into the human condition. All prisoners inside Shawshank experience drastic transformations during their sentences, and even the people that put them through hell go through similar changes. In Shawshank Redemption, "Red" Redding, played by Morgan Freeman, learns to hold onto hope despite a whole lifetime of parole rejections. Brooks, instead, loses all sense of hope when he finally gets a taste of what freedom feels like, and Warden Norton succumbs to his hypocritical values when he's forced to answer for his cruel deeds. More importantly, Andy Dufresne's own journey is what allows all of this to happen.

Related: Why The Shawshank Redemption Hid Its Stephen King Connection

The well-mannered banker Andy Dufresne is given two life sentences at Shawshank for a crime he didn't commit. Unlike many of the inmates at Shawshank, Dufresne accepts his fate with composure. Like Jesus, Andy does suffer like everybody else, and he bears the brunt of the guards and fellow prisoners' brutality. However, he goes out of his way to improve the lives of everyone around him. Andy Dufresne uses his wit to help the guards and the warden with their taxes, advocates for his fellow prisoners' wellbeing by providing them with a better library, and achieves "miracles," such as blessing them with cold beers and music. Yet, Andy does feel desperate at his lowest point, though he retains his faith in what lies beyond and suffers through a painful escape from Shawshank prison — to the shock of the prison's staff — before he finally welcomes his salvation, literally with his arms wide open and his face toward the heavens.

Andy spreading his arms under the rain in Shawshank Redemption

Just like Jesus ascends to Heaven in body and spirit, Andy Dufresne is impossible to find after his escape. He enjoys the full satisfaction of his freedom with no pending matters to attend to, and to make it an even clearer analogy, he heads to the paradisiac land he longed for most of his life. There, Andy waits for Red to follow his directions, which work as evangelical scriptures, and welcomes him, dressed in white and relishing in the near-infinite blue of the sea, after Red endures his own process of redemption.

Analyzing The Shawshank Redemption from this angle offers a brand new interpretation of every little detail. For example, Andy's exploits attract a group of inmates — his disciples —who defend him and continue to spread his message after he did what many considered impossible. The hammer Andy uses to sculpt rocks and eventually carve the tunnel to his freedom paints Andy as a humble but audacious carpenter. The Shawshank Redemption has a more tragic take on Judas Iscariot, as instead of a disciple who betrays Jesus for money, the movie presents Tommy, an inmate who's murdered for being willing to testify in favor of Andy's innocence. Tommy's death puts into motion a chain of events that lead to Andy's escape and the warden's downfall. Finally, the most evident Christian message in the movie is patent in what the warden says to Andy when he returns his Bible before the big escape: "Salvation lies within."

Undoubtedly, The Shawshank Redemption is a story about hope, perseverance, and freedom. The movie offers the possibility to analyze its themes from countless different angles, and all of them give a new spin to Andy Dufresne's stay at Shawshank. With that, the similarity between Andy Dufresne and Jesus Christ certainly can't be denied.

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