Character Analysis
The Momma and the Poppa
Pop, one of Piper's fellow inmates, as depicted in the novel, isn't nearly as colorful as Red, her television counterpart, but she's still a large part of the story. Her affection and support helps Piper get through her sentence, and Pop is even mentioned in Piper's dedication for the novel.
Despite being such an important friend to Piper, we don't learn too much about Pop. She's a prison "momma" because she's been in jail for so long. The women respect her, and she's fairly nice, so she doesn't get beaten half to death with a lock-sock or anything.
She was the wife of a Russian gangster and now she rules the kitchen, taking pride in her prison job. She has been in prison for twelve years and "remember[s] a world with no cell phones [and] no Internet" (16.7). Being in prison is almost like being on Gilligan's Island: no phone, no lights, no motor car. Not a single luxury… except nail polish and cheap ice cream.
In the end, Pop gets out of jail right around the same time Piper does. Maybe now that she knows about the Internet, she can watch Orange is the New Black on Netflix with the rest of us.