Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Life Behind… Not Bars, but Beige WallsThe prison where Piper is held has an official website, but Piper Kerman's book tells us more about this institution than the website would ever care to reve...
Narrator Point of View
This is Piper Kerman's story. It says right in the subtitle, "My Year in a Women's Prison," so it's not just a year, it's hers. And yes, she is from a different cultural and socio-economic backgrou...
What's Up With the Title?
Chapter 4 of Orange is the New Black is called "Orange is the New Black" and features an article called "Oranginas Uncorked" from the New York Times. Piper's friend sends her this article about wom...
What's Up With the Epigraph?
Ring the bells that still can ringForget your perfect offeringThere is a crack, a crack in everythingThat's how the light gets in. – From "Anthem" by...
What's Up With the Ending?
In the last couple of chapters, Piper gets transferred to Chicago to testify against Jonathan Bibby, Nora's drug-dealing rival. Coincidentally, Nora is there, too. (To read more about their semi-re...
Tough-o-Meter
Or should we say prison camp? No, prison camp would probably be at least an 8 or 9 on the Tough-O-Meter, and we'd much rather read this book, or any book, than have to go through a series of humili...