Review 02: Shawshank and Shawshank

Salvation Lies Within You

   “I almost forgot. I can’t deprive you of this; salvation lies within.”

   “Yes, sir.”

WTF?

   And it did. Shocked was the face of the warden after seeing a slot that was cut out from the Bible for storing the rock-hammer. To think that Andy Dufresne would be able to escape simply by digging, using the minute rock-hammer – one could easily think that Andy had an endless amount of hope that would not be present in an ordinary human. Indeed, digging through a prison wall in less than twenty years with such a small tool, and crawling through five football fields of excrement and filthiness would be things that would be unbelievable to accomplish. It would be a lie to say that another person could do the same, right?

   The answer is: wrong. You can do it too, only if you have a rock-hammer and some helpful friends by your side.

Say what?

   Some do argue that in such a dire situation, one is bound to try whatever that may benefit oneself. But a situation so hopeless as one that is depicted in the movie or the book may be enough to turn one into another institutionalized inmate. I am not denying such possibilities; nonetheless, I do believe that we all have potential to become like Andy Dufresne - a manifestation of not only human capability but also the extent of hope that one can have. All depends on one's attitude on viewing a situation. But I am not saying that one needs a positive mind to have hope. What is required, then, to have salvation for the everyday hostilities that we face?

   Answer lies within the book, and in a less direct manner, in the movie as well.

   When Andy describes all the troubles that he went through in creating a false identity, Red asks Andy of how he was able to go through such ordeals and if such measures are even possible. But Andy simply answers, "I hoped for the best, and expected the worst." At that moment, I realized that an unprepared man cannot say such words. It is not positive thinking,  self-hypnosis, or simply a lot of time that is required to break through the difficulties - it is preparedness that is needed. All Andy needed, thus, was a good batch of friends - who could help him in the supplies that he needed or mental sanity that he REALLY needed - and a lot of time.

   I have probably said in the earlier writing that life may be a prison for those who, whether they have realized it or not, regard life to be one. One is caught up in the rules that oneself has made, and cannot realize that they themselves hold the keys. Those keys are what lets one escape from the prison; but using the keys is a different matter, for one needs preparedness to learn how to utilize them. And when that preparation is over, one can endure both the best situation, and the worst situation, as Andy did in the story. 


   "In the hardships that face you, do not try to find the answers directly from outside, but only receive inspirations. This is because, after all, salvation lies within yourself." At least, this is what I think.