Orange is the New Black is an example of cultural hegemony and the social injustices women and minorities face within the judicial system. It also portrays how the different social statuses of inmates dictates the treatment during incarceration. One inmate in particular that we see struggle is Sophia Burset. Unlike the other ladies, Sophia struggles on a level most do not in this particular setting; she is an African American transgender.
I feel like Sophia’s character is a breath of fresh air within the entertainment business. There are so few transgenders on T.V., which means their struggle is swept under the rug. According to an EOnline’s interview with Nick Adams from GLAAD, “Forty-one percent of transgender people report attempting suicide—not thinking about suicide, but attempting suicide. It 's not because transgender people are more mentally unstable than anyone else, it 's because we live in a culture which makes it seem like it 's nearly impossible to be a happy, successful transgender person” (Adams). That is a huge number considering only 0.6% of people in the United States identifies as transgender. It’s deemed socially unacceptable by society, which has only caused the hate to continue to spew. Gender roles are still so prevalent …show more content…
We can see through Sophia’s journey that most are not accepting of things that they do not understand and rarely want to learn so that they can accept it. Going outside of the “social norms” in life is always a struggle and usually unpopular. For these reasons, so many live their lives according to what society will agree to whether it makes them happy or not. Living in the prison setting, as Sophia does, only exacerbates the chance of her freedom of choice. I think the Sophia character can open the eyes to many people who see her struggle, sorrow and shame. With this character, maybe, in time, transgender will be the “new
I feel like Sophia’s character is a breath of fresh air within the entertainment business. There are so few transgenders on T.V., which means their struggle is swept under the rug. According to an EOnline’s interview with Nick Adams from GLAAD, “Forty-one percent of transgender people report attempting suicide—not thinking about suicide, but attempting suicide. It 's not because transgender people are more mentally unstable than anyone else, it 's because we live in a culture which makes it seem like it 's nearly impossible to be a happy, successful transgender person” (Adams). That is a huge number considering only 0.6% of people in the United States identifies as transgender. It’s deemed socially unacceptable by society, which has only caused the hate to continue to spew. Gender roles are still so prevalent …show more content…
We can see through Sophia’s journey that most are not accepting of things that they do not understand and rarely want to learn so that they can accept it. Going outside of the “social norms” in life is always a struggle and usually unpopular. For these reasons, so many live their lives according to what society will agree to whether it makes them happy or not. Living in the prison setting, as Sophia does, only exacerbates the chance of her freedom of choice. I think the Sophia character can open the eyes to many people who see her struggle, sorrow and shame. With this character, maybe, in time, transgender will be the “new