Julianna C’s Comments (group member since Mar 22, 2017)

Julianna C’s comments from the OITNB group.

Now that you've heard Piper's story, what have you taken out of it?

Piper's memoir is a form of an expose...she is really revealing her honest thoughts and criticisms of the American criminal justice system, especially in regards to its drug laws.

How does Piper's language persuade you to see our justice system in a new perspective? What have you learned from Piper's experience in prison? Do you think anything about our jails needs to change now that you have read her story?

Make sure to analyze the author's use of language in your (hopefully opinionated) responses!

Interesting thoughts on our last thread! I'd like for us to now focus on a theme that seems to stick out to you guys based on your analysis of Pipers voice; that being her changing identity.
As Val eloquently added, "'Standing there naked in the warden's bathroom, I could see that prison had changed me. Most of the accumulated varnish of the five unhappy years spent on pretrial was gone. Except for a decade's worth of crinkly smile lines around my eyes, I resembled the girl who had jumped off that waterfall more closely than I had in years." (192).' this is really a turning point for Piper and she really reevaluates the person she's become and how far she has strayed from her roots."
How does Piper's rhetoric reflect her perspective of her identity as a now-prisoner? Are there any telling pieces of evidence, (i.e. quotes, diction, rhetorical appeals), that exemplify this change in characterization? Also- any thoughts on how Piper's growing identity ties into the theme of incarceration?
Be analytical and support your argument with evidence!

Love your examples, Luke. I think that her initial attitude does kind of play a role throughout the story; she's very submissive when it comes to the do's and don'ts of prison life when she first arrives.

Anna, I have to comment on your second quote about Piper's strange affinity towards her steel toed boots. It seems funny to me that at first she's treating prison like almost a dress up game- she's hyper aware of the slippers she has to wear when she arrives and then once she receives the standard boots she calls herself a "real hardened con" as though it was some cool title. It kind of made me laugh considering Piper is just a cookie cutter middle class white girl calling herself a real con because of a pair of shoes.

Piper's voice is consistently strong throughout her memoir. After all, she is telling one of her most personal stories.
How does voice in her writing connect you to the story? (Think pathos). Do you notice any changes in tone throughout the book? For example, note the change in her tone from before her incarceration to her life in prison.
How great of an influence does her environment and the people she meets have on Piper's voice/tone in the novel?
Also- is anyone starting to notice any themes that correspond to the story Piper is telling? Brainstorm your ideas- they will be further discussed in future threads!

Great comments so far! To add on to all of your findings, the syntax that struck me most and inspired me to create this thread was Piper's formulaic way of writing paragraphs. It seemed that as she began to get to the gritty part of her story, she'd write detailed paragraphs and end off with a short, simple sentence that really packed a punch. Does anyone have any examples of this they'd like to share??

Piper's days of throwing away money and having fun in Bali are over.. she is wanted by the federal government for co-conspiracy within her ex's drug ring.
As anxiety builds and Piper realizes her fate, (imprisonment for God knows how long), her narrative becomes almost calculated. How does Piper's syntax detailing the events leading up to her sentence affect your perception of her situation?
With looming fear for her prison time, and a greater understanding of the U.S. criminal justice system, how does Piper's story begin to incorporate rhetorical appeals? How do ethos, logos, and pathos further connect you to the story?
Be analytical, listen to each other, and ask questions along the way!

Olivia, your point about her possible change in diction in the prison setting is really interesting!! Maybe that will happen as we read on.

Hey everyone!! So for this first thread I wanted us to get a feel for the book, before we really delve into it (also, most of you probably haven't started it yet.) I think that this book is going to be really eye opening for a group of middle class white kids from Kings Park- even though the author herself wasn't so different from us status-wise, Piper's experience in prison offered her a completely new perspective.
Now, I know at least a few of you will have already watched OITNB on Netflix, but for this assignment I really want you guys to pretend as if you're reading a completely different story- remember TV is usually totally dramaticized! BTW, I only watched 5 episodes, so I'm pretty unbiased!
ANYWAY! OITNB is a style of writing we don't commonly see in school- first person narrative, some vulgar content, elements of nonfiction. How do you expect this book to impact you as a student reader based on its unique qualities that we're not really exposed to in our school environment? For those of you who've watched the show, how do you expect the actual narrative to be different? Also- what are your predictions about the style of writing Piper will be using in comparison to the content? Do you think the harsh reality of Piper's situation and the prison setting will have any influence over the writing?
Super long intro, but that's usually how I talk. Hey, just trying out Piper's first person narration! Have fun with your theories, but remember to make some academic predictions!!