An Existential Analysis Of Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption

This paper is an initial attempt to study American writer Stephen King's novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (1982) from the perspective of existentialism. King's Rita won a mass readership immediately after its publication. In 1994, Rita was adapted into a film named The Shawshank Redemption, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards and hailed as an uncrowned king ever since.The themes of Rita include absurdity of people's living conditions, the anxious feeling they bosom, and the constant choices they are supposed to make. Existentialism, an influential and significant philosophical thought, declares human beings are destined to live in absurdity, anxiety is an inescapable part of their life, and existence precedes essence, having a lot in common with the subjects of Rita. With an eye to these similarities, this thesis intends to study the novella from the angle of existentialism.This thesis falls into three chapters besides an introduction and a conclusion. The introductory part briefs readers on the author, the novella, the existential theory, literature review, and thesis structure. It highlights the significant themes implied in Rita: the absurd living conditions, the perpetual anxious experience, and the constant choices, which are closely connected with major principles advocated by existentialists. Therefore, this thesis attempts to give a detailed analysis of the novella from the perspective of existentialism.Chapter one mainly deals with the absurd living conditions of the main characters and their attitudes towards absurdity. According to Albert Camus, the world is definitely absurd and absurdity exists in the relationship between two participants: human beings and the world. Absurdity in prison is far more noticeable. Committing suicide physically, committing suicide religiously, and struggling to revolt are totally different reactions to absurdity. Chapter two is an analysis of the anxieties that strike the main characters, which can be generated ontologically, morally and spiritually. Living in an absurd world, it is impossible for human beings to rid themselves of anxiety. The anxiety over fate and death, over guilt and condemnation, over emptiness and meaninglessness will be discussed separately.Chapter three centers on the choices the main characters make in their life. The great existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre proclaims"Existence precedes essence", which indicates the nature of an individual is primarily forged through the choices he/she makes during his/her life process. The statement"The coward makes himself cowardly, the hero makes himself heroic"serves to be the representation of the Sartrean theory.The conclusion summarizes what have been discussed in the previous parts, namely, the important themes of Rita: the main characters'absurd living situations and the various approaches they resort to, their anxious feeling, and their constant choices, answering the question why this thesis is presented. Through the study of these characters'absurd living conditions, their anxieties, and their choices, this thesis endeavors to exhibit King's existential awareness, broaden the research field of Rita, encourage readers to seek for the meanings in their life, and provide a possible angle for further research.