Piper's Fear Of Violence In 'Thirsty Bird'

Most forms of media typically attempt to subtly or obviously convey emotions and thoughts to an audience through various characteristics of the piece, such as form, to highlight an important aspect that may alter the audience’s viewing. In season two, episode one “Thirsty Bird,” Orange is the New Black displays the fear of violence in a prison setting through Piper’s dialogue and with the way she handles herself mentally when she believes she has hurt someone, with her relationships that she fears will cause her harm, and even the show’s technical choices such as lighting intensifies emotions to the fear of violence.
The very beginning of “Thirsty Bird” begins with Piper mentally punishing herself for ‘killing’ Pennsatucky, however as viewers know, Pennsatucky is not dead. Piper spends one month in solitary confinement for fighting Pennsatucky when a guard enters. Behind her is a painting of a bird made with egg yolk. This cracked egg all over the wall is a hint at the break in Piper’s mentality. More clues are when Piper continually asks the guard questions about going to max and when she says in a frightened manner, “I demand to know where I am being …show more content…
Her first interaction with this inmate is on the plane when he is being led to his seat. He tells Piper while looking her up and down, “I got a seat for you mommy, got it all warmed up for you.” Then, in reference to having sex with another inmate and Piper he says, “I can make you share.” referencing forced sexual contact with Piper. The entire time he is speaking to her, Piper tries to make herself small and disappear into her seat, she never speaks and she refuses to make eye contact and darts her eyes all around the plane, she looks everywhere but at the inmate, in doing so, she is displaying the fear she has of what he could do through her