The analysis is instructive, Scott...I thought the archytypes work mostly in the context of how the protagonist relates to other characters...I love how the archytypes are used in this movie to make all characters intertwine... I also admire the solidity with which hope has been portrayed, even milked: in our minds, hope is always much weaker than the overwhelming despair...but the movie here portrays hope as persevering, resourceful and smart...very attractive...it is not simply "wishful thinking" but something so solid it actually sees people through...on the other hand, it is the only movie I recall that shows despair this weak... So much good stuff to download from the movie...must have been a real joy to write it...

One question about Andy's character, though: did he discover that he was "the stuff of hope" when he became confined? Also, I wonder how he managed to drive his wife away given the fact that he is that passionate about the arts...doesn't quite go with being cold...it takes time to develop a taste in the arts...real intellects like Andy know how to safeguard relationships...bit of a paradox in here...what do you think?

Red Trickster = Freedom ?? What not the parole board, its capricious mercy?

Angie, archetypes are tools and as such, we can use them in a number of ways: * To grasp the interrelationships between other characters and the Protagonist * To get a sense of the function of each character in relation to the overall narrative * To understand the underlying dynamic of each subplot (my principle here: Subplot = Relationship, so a Trickster-Mentor relationship is going to be different than an Attractor-Nemesis relationship and so on) * To switch Protagonists as an exercise and see the story universe through each key character's eyes as if THEY are at the center of the story * We can use Sub-Archetypes such as Addict, Martyr, Wizard, Teacher, Warrior, Innocent and so on to shade our characters in unique and different way. A Mentor whose persona is Martyr is dissimilar to a Mentor who is an Alchemist or Slave. Re Hope and Despair: In this respect, Shawshank has a rather classic narrative archetype at work: The Individual vs. the System. Andy = The Individual, a man who stands up against the rigors and dark influence of The System, the prison itself and the effects of 'institutionalization'. And you are so right -- "persevering, resourceful... smart" -- that's pretty much Andy to a tee. He wins out and as importantly, wins over Red, away from despair and in the end to claim hope.

Angie, as noted in the OP, Andy starts off as a "cold man". He even 'confesses' to Red in their last conversation before Andy escapes that he in effect drove his wife away because of his 'cold' nature. So I think it's fair to say that he reconnected with whatever passion he had for books, music, art once he got into prison, primarily as a survival technique. He says at one point, "Here's where you need it most," speaking of music and hope in a place as soul-sucking as prison. Ironic: He had to become imprisoned in order to set free his passion for the arts. At least that's my take on it.

Paul, I absolutely see Freedom as a Trickster. On the face of it, Freedom is an Ally, it's what every prisoner fantasizes about, having a life on the OUTSIDE. So Red, like Brooks, is given his freedom. And Red, like Brooks, finds he CANNOT FUNCTION on the outside. Freedom is not an ally. It in fact turns out to be an ENEMY. Red can't even piss without being given permission from his boss for a bathroom break. He, like Brooks, fantasizes about committing a crime and going BACK to the safety of prison, the home of 'institutionalization'. He stares at the pawn shop window: gun or compass? Choosing a gun and committing a crime would be to acknowledge that Freedom is his Enemy and Prison is his Ally. But because of the promise he made to Andy, he chooses the compass, symbolic of him finding his way, his moral compass, and heads off to that field where Andy told him to go. The parole board as Trickster? Sure. Stories can have more than one character playing the same archetype function. And your instinct is spot on: first two times = enemy / third time = ally.