Structure

The memoir is structured in such a way that the main focus in on Piper’s stay in prison. The first two chapters take place outside of prison and serve primarily to give background as to why Piper was serving her sentence. Although much time is covered in these chapters, descriptions are kept brief as their purpose is only to provide support for the memoir’s main focus.

When Piper arrived in Danbury, events and people are described in a much more in-depth manner than in the introductory chapters. As “Orange is the New Black” is a memoir of Piper’s year in a woman’s prison, it is important that all of her experiences are described in detail to allow the reader to share in her experiences.

The memoir is divided into 18 chapters, with each chapter named for an important quote or plot point in that...