The rule of law is essential in ensuring that people coexist peacefully. If a person contravenes laws, there are measures taken to punish the offender. One of the measures used to punish criminals is through incarceration, whereby prisoners are passed through systematic processes. Piper Chapman is one woman who is arrested and imprisoned for 15 months for a crime she had performed ten years earlier. However, for Piper to adjust in prison, she undergoes the first two stages that are denial and anger, which is evident in the first two episodes of Orange Is the New Black.
Denial
The idea of a criminal shifting from the comfort of their homes to prison causes psychological effects on their personality. One of the effects of subjecting a criminal to the prison environment is denial. Notably, denial can be defined as a state of mind whereby a person is faced with something uncomfortable to accept, which forces them to believe that it does not exist (Courtney, 2019). In the context of Chapman, when she is taken to prison, she is denying that she is going to prison and a considerable amount of time in the vehicle.
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In terms of dressing, Chapman is dressed in formal wear rather than casual wear. Piper thinks that she will not be taken in, or she will be allowed to wear her clothes in prison (Kohan, 2013). Furthermore, Chapman uses Larry’s phone in prison. From her body language, Piper thinks that she is still at the home of one of those dates with her boyfriends. Besides, the main actress is seen by the prison officer whereby she laments that by the time she is released from different prison types of phones would have been released
The other evidence from the first episode to show that Chapman was in the first stage of denial is when she is having a conversation with Mr. Healy, the correctional officer. When Chapman is asked if she is okay, she quickly responds that she is okay. Her tone is of a person that pretends to be okay, but deep down, she knows there is a tough life that awaits her outside in the correctional facility (Kohan, 2013). Also, when asked by Mr. Healy what she was charged with, she says that she only carried drug money once ten years ago. According to Piper, that is a petty crime that should not be land her to 15 months in prison. Chapman’s fears are confirmed by the correctional officer when he notes that her crime was not enough to warrant the long sentence offered. Mr. Healy cannot fathom how sentences are passed as some crimes do not match the number of years a person is convicted.
Furthermore, interacting with new people can be a challenging experience. Even though Chapman has a great personality of interacting with people, she faces difficulties in getting along with fellow prisoners (Kohan, 2013). After taking her breakfast, Piper is angered by the fact that prisoners from all races continuously stare at her. She conspicuously becomes uneasy, and wonders, where she can get a seat since all prisoners in the room, look unwelcoming. It is important to note that it takes the intervention of a cleaner to show Piper a white woman welcoming woman with whom she can share a table with.
Anger
Anger can be defined as an underlying emotional state that a person undergoes when they feel uncomfortable and gives a hostile response (Courtney, 2019). In the movie, Chapman shows anger in several scenarios after feeling provoked. In the preliminary stages of the movie, Chapman feels angered by the fact that a prisoner officer tells her to spread her feet and cough (Kohan, 2013). It is integral to note that in Chapman’s life, she has never been subjected to some form of torture, such as being forced to cough. Besides, Chapman is angered by the negative comments given by a fellow prisoner in the vehicle when she asserts that a lover can wait for their girlfriend afterlife in prison.
Moreover, Chapman has a pleasant personality that allows her to freely interact with people of different classes (Kohan, 2013). She thinks that every person should listen to her opinions or suggestions. However, not all people are friendly to Chapman as others are hostile towards her, which makes her feel angered. When Chapman is taken to take a passport photo, she notices that the prison officer is struggling to take the photo. Piper quickly notices that there is an unplugged cable not connected to the laptop. After she informs the officer that there is a hanging cable, the officer can take the photo. However, when she says that she is not ready after a photo has been taken, she is told to shut up something that angers her.
Nonetheless, Chapman loves her boyfriend, Larry, to the extent that she believes that she cannot do without him. In the first few dews in prison, Chapman is denial that a day can go by without speaking to her boyfriend (Kohan, 2013). As a consequence, therein, Chapman visits one of the correctional officers to call her fiancé. Fortunately, the officer accepts and gives her strictly two minutes to talk to Larry, which is cut short by Larry’s mother. The denial is intense to the extent that she pleads with her boyfriend to come after two days to visit her to feel Larry’s presence.
The main actress Chapman has a history of being lesbian in that she previously had an affair with Laura Prepon. After clearing college, Chapman becomes straight and dates Larry (Kohan, 2013). However, she comes out from a shower; she notices two lesbian girls having sex in the bathroom. Chapman is astonished that lesbianism exists in prison. She stands in denial as she watches the two prisoners make love with each other. Additionally, while waiting for her turn to be served, a fellow prisoner flirts with her hair and shows some sexual interest that leaves Chapman surprised and in denial.
Conclusively, at one point in life, an individual that engages in crime spent time in a correctional facility. However, the process of adjusting to the life of prison can be hectic, especially for a first-timer. Piper Chapman is a criminal convicted for carrying dug money and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Chapman undergoes the first two stages of adjustment that are denial and anger. Chapman is in denial that she is in prison and thinks she is there for a short time before joining her family. As a convict, it took Piper a sizeable considerable amount of time to overcome denial and anger, which is evident in the movie.
References
Courtney, J. (2019). The Relationship between Prison Education Programs and Misconduct. Journal of Correctional Education 70 (3), 43-59.
Kohan, J. (2013). Orange Is the New Black. Season 1. Retrieved from www.netflix.com/ke-en/title/70242311
Mears, D., Cochran, J., Bales, W., & Bhati, A. (2016). Recidivism and Time Served in Prison. The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 106 (1), 83-124.
