9 Orange is the New Black Discussion Questions

This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "Orange Is The New Black" by Piper Kerman. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading.

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Are you looking for Orange Is the New Black discussion questions? Do you want to consider the social issues present in the book?

These Orange Is the New Black discussion questions evaluate privilege, power imbalance, and inequality. You can use them to launch a discussion about issues in society and the prison system.

Check out these Orange Is the New Black discussion questions.

Orange Is the New Black Discussion Questions

Use these questions to examine your own privilege and other issues in the book.

Examine Your Privilege

Think about how your advantages in life might affect your thinking with these discussion questions.

  1. Do you have privileges or advantages in life that others might lack? Briefly describe them.

2. Have these privileges ever made it difficult for you to understand or empathize with the life experiences of others? Describe the situation.

3. What can you do in the future to be more aware of how your advantages might bias or impact your worldview and interactions with others?

These Orange is the New Black book club questions can help you evaluate themes in the book.

Address Power Inequality

Think about how power disparities affect relationships using these Orange is the New Black book club questions.

  1. Have you ever been in a situation where someone in a position of authority or power took advantage of you? Briefly describe what happened.

2. How did you react to this situation? 

What do you think society as a whole can do to protect individuals and groups that are particularly vulnerable to abuses of power? 

End-of-Book Orange Is the New Black Discussion Questions

Think about the main takeaways from Orange Is the New Black.

  1. How do you think the criminal justice system should balance punishment vs. rehabilitation?

2. What were some of the major systemic failures of the prison system, as Piper saw them?

3. Describe the roadblocks that most prisoners face that inhibit them from leading law-abiding and productive lives after release. What improvements do you think could be made to alleviate this situation?

9 Orange is the New Black Discussion Questions

———End of Preview———

Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best summary of Piper Kerman's "Orange Is The New Black" at Shortform .

Here's what you'll find in our full Orange Is The New Black summary :

  • The real, more nuanced story behind the hit TV show
  • How upper-class Piper Kerman landed in prison on drug charges
  • The key lessons Kerman learned about society and herself

Carrie Cabral

Carrie has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember, and has always been open to reading anything put in front of her. She wrote her first short story at the age of six, about a lost dog who meets animal friends on his journey home. Surprisingly, it was never picked up by any major publishers, but did spark her passion for books. Carrie worked in book publishing for several years before getting an MFA in Creative Writing. She especially loves literary fiction, historical fiction, and social, cultural, and historical nonfiction that gets into the weeds of daily life.

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