The plot follows former bank vice president Andy Dufresne, who is wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her lover and ends up in Shawshank State Penitentiary, where corruption and violence are rampant.
Stephen King described "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" as a prison escape story in the vein of old Warner Bros. films.
In 1948, he is approached by former bank vice president Andy Dufresne, a prisoner who arrived at Shawshank a year ago.
One day, Andy overhears guard Byron Hadley complaining about the tax imposed on an inheritance he had recently received and offers help in resolving this issue.
He also seeks funding from the Maine Senate to expand the library, which he hopes will better prepare prisoners for life after release.
Hoping to break Andy's spirit, Norton places him in solitary confinement for 20 days and transfers Tommy to another prison.
While in confinement, Andy refuses to continue accounting but complies when Norton threatens to worsen his living conditions and destroy the library.
The novella has been adapted into a film, The Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robbins as Andy, and Morgan Freeman as Red, and a play of the same name.