Luke’s Comments (group member since Mar 26, 2017)
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Piper's optimism in even the most negative times is essentially what I took from this novel. However, we do see moments of sadness in Piper that I think we should all recognize as realistic. "I am just glad that I was too busy to think all day because afterward, curled up in a ball in my bunk, I also cried and cried." (190). We can see how the justice system hardens people and makes them stronger both physically and mentally, however regardless of that, there are going to be difficult times that are simply too much. I wouldn't necessarily say that our prison system needs to change... due to the fact that it gets the job done. It can be harsh and unfair, but now that I've read her story I see that there is more freedom in a prison than I originally thought (and I thought there was quite a bit). In all, this was a great book and a great read. I enjoyed the narration and setting a lot; the POV perspective helped a lot with painting a picture in my head of the setting and plot.
prisoners* lol
There's certainly more to look at than just the book. Piper's intention's certainly go deeper than simply showing she was rehabilitated. So I did some researching, and at a Q&A with Piper Kerman in Asheville, she was asked what impact she had hoped her book would have. Kerman responded with by saying, "a different idea about who is in prison and why, and what life in prison is really like..." Kerman's intentions for the book were to give a perspective as to the truth about prisons, prison life, and why it is that people are actually there. "Despite the groove that I had settled into, I still had flashes of irritation with my fellow prisoner, which troubled me." (185). Kerman is describing how her relationship with the prison became almost routine to a point where she could handle it. However, the sense of realness helps convey her intention of providing a truthful, real outlook on prison life. As her identity grows, she becomes more comfortable, and provides an outlook on what it is like to live in a prison.
Thanks Julianna! Submissive is a good word I hadn't thought of that... knew I could count on you.
Piper, to me, seems like a person to "go with the flow," and I think that's how she got to prison in the first place. Her initial connection with Nora speaks a lot about her character. "I wanted an adventure, and Nora had one on offer." (9) Piper's willingness to jump at an adventure with Nora simply for the hell of it introduces, early on, a potential flaw in the future. Also, I noticed more in the second chapter that Piper can be both a romantic, and a realist. Looking back, she says "...I realized that Larry had been in love with me back then, and I was in love with him." (18) But she puts a comforting tone on her official relationship with Larry when she says, "In fact, it was the easiest relationship I had ever been in, by far." (19) Piper's tone allows the reader to feel relaxed when reading her story, as it is one of turmoil. But Piper's "go with the flow" attitude and syntax develops her character as one that is strong, because of what she goes through. Does anyone else feel that Piper's initial tone develops her character as we know it as such, or does that not support her character throughout the novel?
To start off, I think it's important to establish the fact that Piper's perspective is from that of an educated, white female, which already gives her the opportunity for a prison experience not half bad. I agree with what you said, Julianna. However I also like how Piper's syntax alludes to other novels, providing a more realistic POV for the book. “Two hundred women, no phones, no washing machines, no hair dryers--it was like Lord of the Flies on estrogen.” (174) By connecting Lord of the Flies with a female hormone appeals to the audience using pathos. Another example of pathos is when Piper says “Do you have to find the evil in yourself in order to truly recognize it in the world?” (*PDF does not contain page numbers*) By shifting the perspective from herself to ourselves, we see her rationale in logic, and why we shouldn't be so ignorant as to neglect that. Piper's syntax offers many different rhetorical appeals that allow the reader to see what she's thinking and assess her situation from her shoes.
I actually never saw an episode of OITNB LOL but I heard some good things about it! I think that due to the fact that this is a first person narrative it will be pretty neat to see an inside look on an all women's prison. I hope that this book has some really nice qualities to it, and isn't too politically biased (lol @cruickshank)but i feel that the content portrayed in this novel will be somewhat personalized on a level due to the fact that it's a narrative, but that can be better when the setting is so unique and detailed..
I very much look forward to reading this novel! I've heard only good things about the show, and as a teenage white boy from Long Island, it should change me!
