40 pages • 1 hour read
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (1982) is a novella by Stephen King. It originally appeared in King’s collection Different Seasons. The novella’s first-person narrator, Red, tells the story of fellow inmate, Andy Dufresne, who was wrongfully convicted, mistreated by the prison warden, and successfully escaped the prison. Through Andy’s steadfast optimism, Red transforms from a cynical ex-con to a man who believes in the power of hope and redemption.
The novella was adapted into a film in 1994. The film was directed by Frank Darabont and starred Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, though it did not win any.
The edition used for this guide is the Kindle edition, published in 2020 by Scribner.
Content Warning: The guide discusses the book’s portrayal of sexual assault, murder, violence, and death by suicide.
Plot Summary
The story begins as Red describes the crimes that landed him in Shawshank prison. After marrying a woman, and taking a job with her father’s company, Red experiences growing hatred for her. He discovers that she has a life insurance policy, and plans her murder by compromising the brakes on her car, hoping to get away with the crime and receive the insurance benefits.
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By Stephen King
