Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is the story of Andy Dufresne, a banker in 1960s Maine who is wrongfully convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover. Told from the perspective of Red, another inmate at Shawshank State Penitentiary, the novella spans decades as Andy and Red become friends and Andy launders money for the corrupt prison staff. Major themes include dignity, hypocrisy, and the persistence of the human spirit.
The most popular website for book notes. SparkNotes was created by students for students, and their summaries are accessible and extremely well-written. Besides the usual plot overview, chapter summaries, and character analysis, SparkNotes differentiates itself with a section discussing themes, motifs, and symbols.