Comparative Study: General Vision and Viewpoint (GVV) & Cultural Context
This segment is arguably the most heartbreaking in the film. For your Leaving Cert, it serves as a “case study” in institutionalisation. The General Vision and Viewpoint (GVV) reaches its nadir (lowest point) here, shifting from the “hope” of the previous segment back into a deep, tragic pessimism.
1. The Paradox of Freedom: “Institutionalisation”
The segment begins with Brooks Hatlen receiving the news that he is to be paroled after 50 years. Instead of being happy, he is terrified.
- The Violent Outbreak: Brooks tries to kill Heywood just so he can stay in prison. This shows a distorted GVV: for Brooks, the prison is “home” and the outside world is a threat.
- Red’s Explanation: Red explains that Brooks isn’t “crazy,” he’s just institutionalised. He famously says, “These walls are funny. First you hate ’em, then you get used to ’em. After enough time passes, you get so you depend on ’em.”
- Symbolism: Brooks setting Jake the crow free is a mirror of his own situation. However, Jake is a bird meant for the sky; Brooks is a man who has been “caged” for so long he no longer knows how to fly.
2. Cultural Context: The Changing World (1900s vs. 1950s)
Brooks enters the outside world in the mid-1950s, and the Cultural Context highlights his total isolation.
- Technological Shock: He mentions that the world has gone and got itself in a “big damn hurry.” He is terrified by cars, which he describes as “monsters.” Having been inside since the early 1900s, he cannot cope with the pace of modern life.
- Social Displacement: He is given a job bagging groceries, but he is too slow. He is an old man in a world that values efficiency.
3. GVV: The Loss of Identity and Agency
The viewpoint in this section is deeply empathetic but incredibly bleak.
- The “Toilet” Scene: One of the most famous examples of institutionalisation is Brooks being unable to go to the toilet without asking his manager for permission. He says, “I can’t squeeze a drop without his say-so.” This shows how the prison system has completely stripped him of his basic human agency.
- Loneliness: We see him feeding birds in the park, hoping Jake will show up. He is surrounded by people but is utterly alone. The GVV here suggests that “freedom” is a death sentence if you have been broken by a system for too long.
4. The Tragic End: “Brooks Was Here”
The segment ends with Brooks writing a letter to the men back in Shawshank. The music is somber, and the tone of the narration is weary.
- The Final Act: Brooks decides he doesn’t like it on the outside and is “tired of being afraid all the time.” He carves “Brooks Was Here” into the wood of his boarding house room and hangs himself.
- GVV Impact: This is the ultimate “dark” moment for your comparative essay. It proves that the “walls” of Shawshank aren’t just stone and mortar—they are inside the men’s minds. It suggests that for some, the damage done by the prison system is permanent and irreversible.
Key Takeaways for your Essay:
- GVV: This is the most pessimistic part of the text. It warns the audience (and the other characters) that “hope” might be a dangerous thing if you stay in the system too long.
- Cultural Context: The “boarding house” for parolees shows a lack of social support for the elderly and former inmates in 1950s America. They are simply dumped back into a world they don’t recognise.
- Contrast: Compare Brooks’ failure to adapt to the outside world with Andy’s determination to stay “human” inside.
Useful Quotes:
- “The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry.” — Brooks
- “I’m tired of being afraid all the time. I’ve decided not to stay.” — Brooks
- “He’s just institutionalised… in here, he’s an important man. Outside, he’s nothing.” — Red
- “Brooks Was Here.” (The finality of his existence)