【场景再现】
RED: What the hell's going on?
SNOOZE: You tell me. One second he was fine, then out came the knife.
RED: Brooks, Brooks, we can talk about this right?
BROOKS: Nothing left to talk about! It's damn all talked out! I'm gonna kill him, cut his throat!
RED: Hey, wait, wait! What's he done to you?
BROOKS: It's what they done! I got, I got no choice!
ANDY: Brooks, you're not gonna hurt Heywood, we all know that. Even Heywood knows it, right Heywood?
HEYWOOD: Sure. I know that. Sure.
ANDY: You know why you're not gonna hurt him? Because he's a friend of yours, because Brooks Hatlen is a reasonable man.
RED: That's right. That's right! Is that right, guys?
ANDY: So put the knife down. Brooks, Brooks, look at me. Put the knife down! Brooks, look at his neck, for God's sake . Look at his neck. He's bleeding.
BROOKS: But it's the only way... the only way they'd let me stay.
ANDY: This is crazy. Come on. You don't wanna do this. Put it down. Look at me. Take it easy. You'll be all right.
HEYWOOD: Him? What about me? Crazy old fool! Goddamn near cut my throat!
RED: You've had it worse from shaving. What the hell did you do to set him off anyway?
HEYWOOD: I didn't do nothin' ! Just came in to say fare-thee-well. Ain't you heard? His parole came through!
ANDY: I just don't understand what happened in there, that's all.
HEYWOOD: Old man's crazy as a rat in a tin shithouse, is what.
RED: Heywood, that's enough out of you.
CON: I heard he had you shitting your pants.
HEYWOOD: you!
RED: You do knock it off! Brooks ain't no bug. He's just...he's just institutionalized .
HEYWOOD: Institutionalized, my ass .
RED: The man's been in here fifty years. Heywood, fifty years! Thisis all he knows. In here, he's an important man. He's an educated man.Outside, he's nothing but a used-up con with arthritis in both hands.Probably couldn't get a library card if he tried. You know what I'mtrying to say?
FLOYD: Red, I do believe you're talking out of your ass .
RED: You believe whatever you want, Floyd. But I'm telling you thesewalls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enoughtime passes, you get so you depend on 'em. That's "institutionalized".
JIGGER: ****. I could never get like that.
ERNIE: Oh, yeah? Say that when you've been here as long as Brooks has.
RED: Goddamn right. They send you here for life, and that's exactly what they take. Part that counts, anyway.