Dreadful Freedom- an Essay Depicting Andy Dufresne as an...

To be a true existential hero means many things. The majority of a persons actions must be in accordance with the strictly defined beliefs of an existentialist. An existential hero is very conscious of the worth and impact of his choices. He is responsible, lonely, independent, self-reliant and free. Andy Dufresne the protagonist in The Shawshank Redemption written by Stephen King and directed by Frank Darabont exhibits these essential existential qualities. The movie has several existential themes within it, made apparent by Andy’s words and actions. For this reason, it is evident that Andy Dufresne is an existential hero. In existential philosophy, a great deal of importance is placed on the concept of choice. An existential hero†¦show more content†¦Meaning does not come from external events, forces, or material items. I could be argued that Andy Dufresne does not meet this qualification. Andy is not contented with the poor supply of books in the prison library, but rather sends hundreds of letters requesting money for more books. This behavior suggests that Andy places value on â€Å"thing-ness† a very non-existential trait. However, Andy uses the books to build for himself and his fellow inmates a great library where he teaches and helps many to get their high school diplomas. It can be concluded therefore, that Andy was not placing value in the thing-ness of books, but rather the self-improvement that comes from educating oneself. When Andy was sent to the hole for weeks, without the any of the external extremities that most rely on, the unnaturally long sentence should have been e nough to drive a person to near-madness. However, the solitude had little effect on Andy. The music inside of him was enough o keep up his moral. This is because, for Andy, his meaning is found within himself, an attribute absolutely necessary for an existential hero. Andy Dufresne is well aware of the control he has over his own life. His actions are not reflective of societies rules or conventions and he is conscious of the scope of his influence. Much of his life he has been lonely and independent. He does not value material things, and his meaning is found within himself. In