Nasri Zukepeli
2ENB CR
UNIT STANDARD 8823: THEME STUDY REPORT
The theme I explored in this study was Crisis and Change. This refers to parts in the texts
where a crisis happens and this forces a change in events or in the lives of the characters.
Three of the texts that I will discuss in terms of similarities and differences in relation to this
theme are Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, The Shawshank Redemption, directed by
Frank Darabont, The Hurricane directed by Norman Jewison, and Cleaning Out My Closet by
Marshall Blue Mathers III.
The first similarity between texts happens in The Hurricane and The Shawshank Redemption.
Both texts have the same crisis that lead them to change, which was both imprisoned for
crime they didn’t commit. In The Hurricane, Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter related to the audience
with his feeling of innocence and self-esteem regarding from what he believes, of the act of
racism. “Everything I had, I lost at the hands of white folks” This relates to The Shawshank
Redemption when Andy Dufresne was sentenced to a life of prison even though he was
innocent. “Since I am innocent of this crime, sir, I find it decidedly inconvenient that the gun
was never found”. As it has a similar aspect of crisis, both being uncalled for and lost to a
crime that had been committed against them. The changes that happened as a result of both
these crisis were greatly affected the lives of the people involved and their redemption and
hope for freedom are strong.
The second similarity between texts happens between Angela’s Ashes and The Shawshank
Redemption. This is sudden death. In Angela’s Ashes, the crisis after the death of Margaret
was a major change for them as they lost a family member. This relates to The Shawshank
Redemption when Tommy arrives at Shawshank and suddenly murdered when he tells
Andy’s chance of freedom as the real murder had confessed. “I guess after Tommy was killed,
he decided he had been here just about long enough”. Both texts have a similar aspect of
‘crisis and change’, both were distinguished from the cruel world and therefore, very heartbreaking. As the crisis leads them to change, it greatly affected the outcome in each text.
Despite living in a poor condition, I felt sorry for them losing a family member even though it
would cause them to greater hunger in Angela’s Ashes.
The third similarity between texts happens between Cleaning Out My Closet and The
Shawshank Redemption. This is mistreatment. In Cleaning Out My Closet, Marshall’s mother
used to mistreat him by beating him up and giving him Munchausen’s syndrome, impacting
him and giving him the impression he was sick, leading to a change in his life. “My whole
life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn’t”. This relates to Shawshank Redemption
when Andy was assaulted and beaten up by the Sisters. “I wish I could tell you that Andy
fought the good fight, and the Sisters let him be...every so often, Andy would show up with
fresh bruises. The Sisters kept at him”. As both texts have the similar aspect of ‘crisis and
change’, they relate through violence that occurred to them which lead to change. The
change that happened as a result of this crisis’s involved psychological scarring that will
affect them to the rest of their future life. This shows that actions and violence behaviour can
hurt people inside and outside.
On the other hand, the first difference between texts happens in The Hurricane and The
Shawshank Redemption. In The Hurricane, Rubin recorded all his life related to the crisis that
put him in prison in a book which later on became the source of his freedom, leading to a
change in his life. “Hate put me in prison. Love’s gonna bust me out”. This relates to The
Shawshank Redemption, when Andy manages to escape from the prison through the sewer
tunnel. “Andy Dufresne – who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the
other side”, shows how Andy manages to escape the crisis that changed his way of living.
Even though both have an opposite aspect of ‘crisis and change’, they relate to each other;
The Hurricane having to leave prison from a fair law order and The Shawshank Redemption
having an escapable crisis which lead to change, The changes that happened as a result of
these crisis’s involved hope and redemption. I myself think that both have an unfortunate life
ending but The Hurricane prove that the truth lies out there and it will help us in the end
while Shawshank Redemption state truth is not to be found in a corrupted system.
The second difference between the texts happens between Angela’s Ashes and The
Shawshank Redemption. In Angela’s Ashes, having not enough basic necessity of living
leads Frank to steal, which became a crisis for him. “I make sure no one was looking, grab a
bunch of bananas…and we rest them in a dark corner”. This relates to The Shawshank
Redemption when Andy plans on to breaking out of prison by force. “Outside, I was straight
as an arrow. I had to come to prison to become a crook”. As both texts have an opposite
aspect of ‘crisis and change’, they relate to each other, Angela’s Ashes having an
unpreventable crisis which lead to change and The Shawshank Redemption having a forced
crisis that he bring upon to which also lead to change. This shows how decisions and actions
can control one life to act accordingly, for example stealing for Frank was not his first choice
of providing necessities but a last resort.
The third difference between the texts happens between Cleaning Out My Closet and
Angela’s Ashes. In Cleaning Out My Closet, Marshall’s father abandoned him when he was a
baby, impacting him and leading to a change in his life as he never grew up with a father.
“Coz he split, I wonder if he even kissed me goodbye”. This relates to Angela’s Ashes, where
Frank always had his irresponsible, alcoholic father along him, which gave him a lot of
fatherly love until he left for United Kingdom to seek for money that became a crisis for him.
“I know when Dad does the bad thing. I know when he drinks the dole money and Mam is
desperate and has to beg…”Even though they are both an opposite aspect of ‘crisis and
change’, they relate to each other, Cleaning Out My Closet having an unstoppable crisis
which lead to crisis and Angela’s Ashes having a crisis that is uncontrollable for it is beyond
his condition. The changes that happened as a result of these crises involved betrayal and
heart-breaking. This shows that a person’s life is incomplete without love to nurture them at
young age and can hurt the person deep into his future.
In conclusion, the four texts Angela’s Ashes, The Shawshank Redemption, The Hurricane,
and Cleaning Out My Closet relate to each other in terms of similarities and differences with
their relationship in Crisis and Change.
Nasri Zukepeli
2ENB CR