For a show that takes place in prison, it would be expected to see a running theme of a “weak class” serving the powerful. In Orange Is the New Black, however, there is an added layer to this power dynamic. Within the prison system of this show, those in power are almost always men and those obeying them are women (inclusively speaking).

In the third episode of the first season, this connection between gender and the amount of power one has is highlighted from the start where a police officer blatantly objectifies the women in the prison, referring to them as a means to his pleasure instead of as actual people. He further proceeds to yell at a transgender women and taunt her with a McDonald’s meal—something he knows she wants but cannot have. When she refuses to express her hurt by his offensive behavior, he again begins to yell at her for standing too close to him. The subordinate status of the women is evident by the police officer’s blatant disrespect of her and his ability to do so without consequences.

A quote from the show that highlights how men make all of the rules for the women in the prison.

This episode is further littered with offensive jabs at women that, although hurtful, provide an accurate representation of our modern society’s perspective. For example, one girl calls Piper a “real woman” because she doesn’t sweat—an allusion to the fact that women are expected to be clean and perfect all the time. At other times, women are told to “man up”, referring to the belief that men are generally stronger and can handle problems better than women. Furthermore, when the women question certain aspects of the legal system, they are often answered with something on the lines of “you have to do this because the white man said so”. Such statements refer to the fact that in the past and still in present day, many aspects of the government, our laws, our workplaces, and our everyday lives are shaped by one small facet of society and are not influenced by all members equally. This running theme that women have less power than men factors into the show by highlighting Piper’s inferior and relatively helpless situation, allowing viewers to understand the challenges she faces and the complications of why she has them as a woman. More importantly, however, this theme comments on the current position of women in society and unapologetically points out that women are in an unfair disadvantage in many different areas of their lives—even in a prison where they are surrounded by people of the same gender.

Despite the absurdity of an environment or character’s situation, TV viewers tend to become accustomed to the scenery of a show quickly. Whether the setting be in the middle of Manhattan, a dangerous jungle, or even another universe, the setting, although noteworthy, is generally not what we focus on. Instead, we tend to follow the issues at stake, the problem, or a particular character we sympathize with. In Orange is the New Black, however, to understand the main character’s thoughts and feelings, it is essential to view the new environment (jail) the same way that the protagonist (Piper) does. To accomplish this goal, producers jump in between scenes of flashbacks to Piper’s old environment and her new one in jail to create a juxtaposition.

When Piper’s old life outside of jail is shown, the first thing I noticed was the lighting. In scenes that portray the past, the lighting is always brighter and has a more yellow/orange glow. This lighting is so noticeable because it is very different from the lighting of the jail scenes before it where dark grey tones prevail. The use of bright lighting in scenes outside of prison conveys that Piper’s past life was much happier, fortunate, and comfortable than her current bleak situation.

To convey this theme of a nurturing past and cutthroat present, clips between the two often end with characters talking about the same thing in different ways. For example, in episode two of the first season, Red mentions how a certain bathroom smells like a dead animal. Immediately after, the filming jumps to a different scene that takes place in Piper’s past, where she talks about how she loves the smell of soap—a luxury that she cannot afford now. During this scene, she excitedly discusses how she can start a business marketing soaps and lotions. As soon as Piper says “lotions” the scene cuts and goes to the jail, where a gross, generic container of lotion is slammed down on a desk. Furthermore, clips constantly jump from Piper not eating anything in the jail because she is being starved out by another inmate to her purposefully not eating at home because she is adhering to a detox diet. By switching scenes from her new life in jail to her old life with her fiance outside of it, the producers emphasize that Piper’s old life was comfortable and that her current one is foreign, scary, tough, and an enormous emotional, social, and physical challenge. By timing scenes to end at certain meaningful points, viewers gain a true understanding of what jail means to Piper because they also understand what experiences were like for her outside of jail and the change she is getting used to. Such utilization of cinematography to juxtapose the past with the present allows viewers to empathize with Piper and feel the same emotional toll that she does.

Juxtaposition