Summary Of Chapter 8 Of Orange Is The New Black

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In chapter eight of Orange is the New Black, Piper Kerman further explains what her life was like in prison. A woman named Morena arrives at the prison from the Federal Correctional Institution, who Piper refers to as “Crazy Eyes.” Morena attempts to befriend Piper, but Crazy Eyes reveals that she wants a relationship with her. Piper, being already married, kindly declines the offer. One of her friends named Carlotta explains that she is excited to get married so she can make other women jealous of her. Piper is excited for Spring to come and is hoping to buy a radio if they have any in stock at the commissary. The chapter ends with her least favorite guard being replaced by a new, much kinder officer. Piper Kerman is able to vividly tell her story of her life in a women’s prison. Starting …show more content…

Her audience is not specific, but there are a lot of women who can connect with her journey in prison. The purpose behind this memoir is to share what it is like to go through prison and to and to educate others on the struggles of surviving jail. Kerman uses a lot of colloquialisms and jargon, such as the words bimbo and federales. She uses stream-of- consciousness and articulates the different dialects of the different women in the prison depending on their ethnicity and where they are from. Epithets are common in this chapter, such as Crazy Eyes and Officer Jesus-Is-My-Homeboy. Morena is described as a caricature; “a Spanish woman who looked like a deranged Mayan princess” (Kerman 117). She uses a powerful aphorism, stating “In such a harsh, corrupt, and contradictory environment, one walks a delicate balance between the prison’s demands and your own softness and sense of your