A discussion of the themes of grace and redemption as seen through the character William Miller in "Almost Famous" and Andy Dufresne in "The Shawshank Redemption."
This paper examines how redemption and grace can be found for different individuals in many ways. It provides a brief synopsis of the films "Almost Famous" and "The Shawshank Redemption" and the story of each of the protagonists - Andy Dufresne, an innocent man jailed and punished for horrific acts which he never committed and William Miller, a 15 year old stuck in a life which he finds unfulfilling as do many teenagers. It shows how in the film "The Shawshank Redemption" it can be found from teaching and staying positive, while in "Almost Famous" it takes going to the dark side in order to grow and evolve into a man.
From the Paper:
"William Miller finds himself at 15 years old stuck in a life which he finds unfulfilling as do many teenagers. William however has a talent and love for writing and is given the opportunity through hard work and dedication, certainly not handed to him, to write for Rolling Stone magazine. Rolling Stone magazine is the pinnacle of rock and roll journalism, one would think that this would cap off adolescence beyond any teens wildest expectations. Little did William know that, this opportunity would propel his life forward from a boy to a man, from a misguided youth to a young man with a successful career in front of him."