“When they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice, but still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty now that they're gone.”
Share this quote
About this quote
Spoken by Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding in the voice-over narration of The Shawshank Redemption (1994), this line appears as the story notes people leaving prison and the quiet aftermath. It locates a specific, rueful mood rather than offering advice. The line is memorable because of its plain, melancholic delivery and Morgan Freeman's calm voice, which turns a small observation into a lasting emotional moment.