Hope Springs Eternal Rita Hayworth and Shawshank...

Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King A wise man once said, â€Å"Memory is the library of the mind.† All of the events in one’s life, ranging from birth to the present, are stored in this complex catalog of experience. There they remain untouched and collecting dust until a time of need, much like the scores of books found in today’s libraries. No matter how obscure, their topics represent the various trials of life that build one’s character and forever serve as the most reliable source of the human psyche. The novella, â€Å"Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption†, is part of a collection of stories that comprise Stephen King’s book Different Seasons which was first published†¦show more content†¦At first, he has a difficult time making friends thanks to his reputation of being â€Å"a snob and a coldfish† (King 27). He is very different from the other prisoners, partly because he knows he is not guilty and thus wears this confidence on his sleeve. It is the memory of his former freedom which provokes this seemingly arrogant attitude that both helps and hinders him. Nevertheless, this behavior serves as the very thing that first attracts the narrator, Red, to Andy. Not a man to be easily impressed nor persuaded, it comes as quite a shock to the reader that these two polar opposites form a bond. Red is able to see past what the other inmates label as â€Å"snobbishness† and instead takes comfort in Andy’s nonchalant approach to life and the tone of confidence that consumes him. Red views Andy as a much needed breath of fresh air to his musty routine within the Shank. However, it seems that their budding friendship is initially a greater asset to Red than it is to Andy. Although it may help Andy begin to find his place, he is primarily concerned with his own well-being, which is sustained only by his memories and not by the companionship of a stranger. An addition to this list of survival to ols is Andy’s ability to keep his mind on the outside rather than focusing on the finality of prison life. His capacity to do so separates him from his peers, in that he becomes one of the few â€Å"long timers† able to avoid the characteristic walk, that in a