Orange Is The New Black Gender Analysis

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Recommended: Racial disparity in the prison system

Now a day race and gender have a big weight in how one is treated, especially in prison. Since this will determine where your work, social standing and type of treatment that the inmate receives in the prison. Their lives completely change according to the race and the gender each member is part of. Race and gender are key factors that are taken into consideration when it comes to how inmates are treated in the prison system.

In the 21st century, though no matter how developed society is, it still lacks the understanding that gender and race should not be something by which people are judged. Society should try it’s best to improve and develop its ideas with no judgement of what someone truly is. In the series, Orange is the New Black, we …show more content…

Though characters in the series do not directly say what gender they are part of each one slowly let the viewers know what are their interest and gender identity each one has. First character that is very intriguing is the main character Piper Chapman, she has a completely feminine identity. This giving her the privilege of having relationships with characters especially correctional staff. Thanks to her having a “normal” gender Mr. Healy often would take her side. In episode three, “Lesbian Request Denied,” Mr. Healy describes Piper as a “nice girl.” We also see how in episode 1 “I wasn’t ready,” piper uses her gender in her favor, when she is in Caputo’s Office and she starts crying, like the inmates told her to do, this convinced Caputo to let her use the phone and make a call. By her doing this it continuously portrays her as a being a person always in need of help, making her a “weak” character or even someone in need of protection from a male figure. Showing how gender can be a benefit to some an curse for …show more content…

She openly discusses her gender identity several times during the first season and explains that she is a transwoman. character not only portrays a transwoman, but portrays a transwoman in a way that counters the deceptive narrative. One that shows them as hiding their transitions from society. She is always honest in her transition and is very open about it. She does not try to hide it. Although by her being this open about it she still faces problems in the prison with staff and other inmates. In episode three “Lesbian Request Denied” We see Sophia’s first significant problem that was that the nurse who is responsible on administering inmate’s medication tells Sophia that her hormone treatment has changed unexpectedly. When Sophia tries to fix her medical concerns with Mr. Healy, he insists that it is not a big concern. This incident forces Sophia take matter into her own hands. Here we see how by Sophia being transgender her treatment is changed and help was not being given to

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