In the Court The Analysis on How Andy’s Reaction to His Experience of Being Unfairly Treated

B. The Analysis on How Andy’s Reaction to His Experience of Being Unfairly Treated

Andy, as the main character in Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, faces some problems in his prison life.

1. In the Court

From the beginning of the story, it has been described that Andy has already faced with problems. In the court, Andy is charged for a murderer. The victims are his wife, Linda Collins Dufresne, and her lover, Glenn Quentin, the Fallmouth Hills golf pro. “Andy was in for murdering his wife and her lover.” 14 In the court the DA Attorney makes a statement that Andy is a cool – blooded murderer. The DA tells the story about the assassination toward Linda Collins Dufresne and Glenn Quentin from the beginning until the end clearly. In the living room of Quentin’s bungalow, four dishtowels had been found lying on the sofa. There were bullet – holes through them and powder – burns on them. The detective theorized over the agonized objection’s Andy lawyer that the murderer had wrapped the towels around the muzzle of the murder – weapon to muffle the sound of the gunshots. 16 This testimony is incriminating for Andy. It seems that from this testimony, Andy is the suspect of this case and makes the court charged him with death penalty. But Andy does not easily give up. He takes the stands on his own defence and tells his story clearly. He says that he has already noticed his wife’s love affairs. Then, he tries to investigate the rumor. At last, he finds that the rumor is true. Then, Andy becomes distressed, deciding to buy a gun to commit suicide. Andy Dufresne took the stand in his own defence and told his story calmly, coolly, and dispassionately. …. ‘That’s when I knew for sure,’ Andy told the breathless spectators. He spoke in the same calm, remote voice in which he delivered almost all of his testimony. … . and had even gone so far as to purchase a gun in Lewingstone on 8 September. 17 In the court the DA does not seem to believe with Andy’s testimony. He always has questions to put him into the corner. But Andy is able to answer the questions calmly and clearly. ‘ At that time, as I drove home, I was beginning to think that the wisest course would be to simply let her go to Reno and get her divorce.’ ‘ Thank you, Mr. Dufresne.’ The DA popped up. ‘ You divorced her in the quickest way you could think of, didn’t you?’ You divorced her with a .38 revolver wrapped in dishtowels, didn’t you?’ ‘ No sir, I did not,’ Andy said calmly. ‘ And then you shot her lover.’ ………………… ‘ It’s neither convenient nor inconvenient. Only the truth.’ ‘ I believe you heard Lieutenant Mincher’s testimony?’20 From the quotation above we can see that the DA tries to trap Andy with his questions. Eventhough Andy is able to answer all of those questions; the DA seems do not believe with Andy’s testimony. In one occasion Andy is able to convince the judges that he is not guilty. He says that he has thrown the gun. The police are searching the area where Andy has thrown his gun. Andy said that he has thrown his gun in the Royal near Pond Bridge. After the searching the police cannot find the gun. They believe that the gun is dragged by the river current. Hence, the police are unable to compare between the rifling on the bullets found in the corpses and rifling on the barrel. In this chance Andy becomes ‘the winner’ in the battle against the DA. The court session is postponed to make further decision. Mincher had been in charge of the party which had dragged the stretch of the Royal near Pond Bridge, from which Andy had testified he had thrown the gun. The police ha not found it. …………… Andy displayed one of the few slight emotional reactions he allowed himself during the entire six – week period of the trial. A slight, bitter smile crossed his face. 21 At last Andy is charged guilty. He cannot answer one key question in front of the judges. They asked what Andy think had happened since there had been no signs of robbery. Andy seems confused by the jury’s question. Andy looks little worry and acts not as he answers the previous questions. If Andy can answer this question correctly, maybe he is not given two life sentences and gets free. But Andy cannot answer it. Finally, he gets dead penalty. Then what did he think had happened, since there had been no signs of robbery? ‘ I have no way knowing that, sir,’ Andy said quietly. The case went to the jury at one p.m. on snowy Wednesday afternoon. ..... They found him guilty, and brother, if Maine had the dead penalty, he could have done the airdance before that spring’s crocuses poked their heads out of the dirt. 22

2. In the Prison