Subcultures and countercultures - Essay Example

Subcultures and countercultures Introduction The Shawshank Redemption is a film that illustrates life within a government prison. There are two characters; Red and Brooks, who find it difficult to live and survive outside the prison. Since they had spent many years in prison, it is hard for them to cope up with life in a free society. There is a reason for this; as the movie explains, prison is a type of fully enclosed organization where the dwellers share all parts of their daily lives. Prisoners eat, work, relax and sleep together. In general, there is nothing involving the life of each prisoner that is done privately or separately from the other detainees’ populace. Prison as a Subculture For the detainees, prison is similar to a small society where they practice their customs, lifestyles, beliefs and value systems. Within the prison, this is commonly known as the prison subculture. This subculture illustrates the traditions, attitudes, lifestyles, values and other norms of the prison detainees inside a particular prison. Prison subculture and socialization progression are not only applicable to prisoners but also to the prison employees such as wardens and administrators. The prison employees’ subculture is predominantly influenced through custody and control. They adopt customs and attitudes to affirm themselves in a governing role, present a joined position and defend against possible prisoners threats. For many years, prisons and other detainment facilities have dependably been described and viewed as a loathsome and frightening area. There many ways to confirm people’s view concerning the belief about the prison. The movie, The Shawshank Redemption is a perfect example of the prison's activities. The movie talks about a banker that is wrongfully indicted for killing his wife and her lover. The banker Andy Dufresne is indicted and sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences. At the same time as he attempting to survive and discover his jail and prison character, he meets and gets to know Morgan Freeman, who is played as ‘Red’ Redding, a vendor, and James Whitmore, who is played as Brooks Hatlen among other detainees. In this case, we can see how Andy tries to fit into the prison subculture by forming a business-kind association with the guards’ captain; Captain Byron Hadley whose real name Clancy Brown and Warden Samuel Norton and other employees at Shawshank prison. Distinctive Markers of the Subculture that Set the Group Separately from the Dominant Culture There are various diverse prison subcultures delineated in the movie The Shawshank Redemption, together with the positions of the detainees and the overseers. Among the overseers, there are three essential subcultures; the perverted Superintendent Samuel Norton, the brutalizing watchmen like Captain Hadley, and the more empathetic gatekeepers. The abusive guards regularly have a subculture comprised of different gatekeepers that do their submission. Nonetheless, it is along with the detainee culture that the most unmistakable subcultures develop over the span of the movie, each one with its stage of might or absence of it. In movie, there are different concepts that are illustrated, these concepts include: Agency At the beginning of the movie, Red is seen as the gang leader of the prison subculture, a subculture that offers the other prisons with whatever thing they need but with a cost. Similar to a black market, this subculture uses exchange in a bid to provide prisoners with materials they want, from cigarettes and publications to drugs and drinks such as liquor and other soft drinks. As Red upholds in his recounting, “There have to be a con similar to me in each prison in the United States. I am the chap who can find it for you; Cigarettes, a bottle of beer, and anything that a prisoner may need to use. Yes, sir, I am a usual Sears and Roebuck” (Darabont, 1994). In other words, this can be compared to crime and corruption that happens even in the society.Each one of the detainees within Shawshank Prison is bolted up allegorically and additionally, escaping himself or not able to work in the uncontrolled society that augments past the jail walls. There are numerous levels of separation within Shawshank, from the huge, encased amusement yard to the tinier work groups below to different cells, and at last, isolation. The jail is, therefore, a multifaceted globe, a community of the world that the detainees have been coercively expelled from. The bars, firm calendars, savage wardens, and ruthless Sisters just increased a feeling of incarcerating and suffocation to these levels of confinement. Red's choice to travel down to Mexico to look for Andy is Red's very own definitive evidence of liberation, not as of his life as a lawbreaker but rather from his compromised condition, deprived of trust and with no motivation to grasp life or what's to come. Red's end words, as he sets out likely onto another way, demonstrate that trust is a troublesome idea to manage both inside the jail and out. The letter expresses the value of friendship and shows the strength of what prison subculture can do to the inmates themselves; its dominance is evidence from the expression of inmates towards each other. Norms Another norm that is illustrated in the movie is the power of norm in leadership. It is seen in the result and reaction between the two major categories, the administration power of the prison Warden and the guards together with Andy’s group, to their relevant bosses. There are influence and impact of management of the Warden in the case of the guards. In most situations, guards have been tough to prisoners when their leaders are around, an indication of motivation and influence of leadership. However, in the absence of Warden and Hadley, ethical and humane characteristics are seen through interactions with the prisoners. Belief In comparison to the guards, there is a positive influence that Andy shows on Red and other detainees in their category. The first time Andy arrives in prison, they are realistic and hard-headed though Andy becomes submissive to the authority. However, Andy explains to them that ethical manners and perfection can still exist even in the prison. Andy’s actions show the how belief is exercised even in places where people adopt new subcultures. The application of belief concept is seen when Andy first meet other prisoners; he asks the name of an inmate who was brutally beaten to the point of death. According to other detainees, this gives the impression of insignificant to them, though it is an indication and an ethical symbol norm that Andy carries in him even in jail. Andy goes through tough times in jail, but he does not drop the ethical norms and as time passes, the level of ethical behavior and hope among the inmates increases. Symbolism Symbolism is seen in Rita Hayworth and other women in the movie; they symbolize exterior or outside society, hope and each prisoner’s desire to escape to an ordinary life. Rita Hayworth reminds Andy of his wish to flee from Shawshank prison and signifies prisoners the feeling of hope and believe that maintains Andy alive hence making him different from other. Socialization Socialization is an important concept in this movie. Just like any other place where a common purpose unites people, socialization helps different people learn new ideas and more importantly how to relate one another in a better way. An aspect of socialization is seen between Red and other inmates; he assures them that he can make them get anything they want and a profit in return. Even though it is viewed as a sort of corruption, most inmates can get some of the things they dearly require. The relationship between Andy and Red is a perfect example of socialization; they encouraged themselves hence developed a sense of better things in future as serve their jail sentences. How the Film Represent the Subculture it portrays in Real Life Shawshank's points of confinement, in any case, describe the level to which the detainees have separated themselves and bargained their sentiment identity. Underneath the set, lawbreakers lie restless, irritated untouchables, a colossal number of them of who believe they can't work outside the prison facility organization. Blatch Elwood, for instance, is a speaker and an egomaniac whose distorted records of his experiences trap none of his group of audiences into assuming that he is an expert lawbreaker whom he creates himself to be. Red, then, recognizes Andy as his friend who never gives up when the opportunity presents itself. Opportunity is a frightening thought for Red, who aches for being paroled. However, over the long haul, fights to get his position in people, in general, eye after practically forty years in prison. Relating Andy's flee, henceforth, enables Red to tackle his purposes behind alert and find the mental opportunity he is looking for. This is a sign of the prison as a prevailing and prevailing subculture in the entire film. Trust, more than anything else, encourages the detainees at Shawshank Prison and offers the strength of mind to live. Andy's strength of mind to keep up his specific sentiment of self-esteem together with escape maintains him from lashing out the sense of disappointment and shock in segregation. Trust is an extraordinary, uninvolved feeling, much the same as the latent, settled, and dormant presence of the prisoners. Andy begins making trust a reality as the terrible progression; he makes each year digging his way through a strong cell wall. For sure, still Andy's even-keeled and all around balanced personality, in any case, in the long run, succumb to the misery correctional facility life. Red observes Tommy Williams' exposure, and that he could show Andy's guiltlessness was like a key opening an enclosure in Andy's brain, a lock up that released Hope. This trust rejuvenates Andy and also goes further to an expansive part of other prisoners in the correctional facility. In his letter written to Red, Andy clarifies in composing that "trust is something to be thankful for," which finally is everything that Red has gotten out (Darabont, 1994). Conclusion In conclusion, it is promptly clear that inside of the general prison society, there are various particular subcultures that develop in the years and are made up of what Red calls "schedule," (Darabont, 1994). Most detainees who make up and enjoined in a subculture will often remain a tied of that subculture until they are discharged from jail or meet their demise from some roughness delivered upon them by another subculture. Reference Darabont, F., Robbins, T., Freeman, M., Gunton, B., Sadler, W., Brown, C., Bellows, G., .. King, S. (1994). The Shawshank redemption. U.K.: Cinema Club. Read More