Institutional Homophobia and Unclaimed Queer Trauma in Orange Is the New Black: A Multimodal Analysis through Butler’s Performativity and Caruth’s Trauma Theory
This study employs a multimodal analysis of ten episodes from *Orange Is the New Black*, utilizing Judith Butler's performativity and Cathy Caruth's trauma theory to reveal how the series depicts the interconnectedness of institutional homophobia, carceral violence, and unclaimed queer trauma while highlighting both systemic abuse and queer resistance.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Television has long been a mirror for society, reflecting our stories back to us, but it also has the power to shape how we understand the hidden corners of human experience. In recent years, streaming platforms have brought more LGBTQ+ characters into living rooms than ever before, yet many of these stories focus on romance or individual identity, often missing the heavier, systemic realities of how institutions treat queer people. This is particularly true within the prison system, where the rules are rigid and the consequences of breaking them are severe. To understand how these systems work, researchers look at two specific ideas. The first is the concept that gender is not something we are born with, but rather a set of actions and behaviors we repeat to fit into society's expectations; when someone does not fit the standard mold, the system often tries to force them into line or punish them for being different. The second idea is that trauma is not always a single event we can easily talk about immediately after it happens; instead, it can be an experience that is too overwhelming to process at the time, returning later in fragments, flashbacks, or silence, leaving a mark that is felt but not fully claimed or understood.
A team of researchers at Vellore Institute of Technology University set out to see how the popular television series Orange Is the New Black handles these complex themes. The show, which ran for seven seasons, is unique because it places a large cast of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters inside a U.S. women's prison, offering a rare look at the daily struggles of queer people in a total institution. The researchers wanted to move beyond simple plot summaries to understand how the show uses visual and sound techniques to tell the story of institutional violence and psychological pain. They selected ten specific episodes from across the series, focusing on key characters like Sophia Burset, a transgender woman; Big Boo, a butch lesbian; Poussey Washington, a Black lesbian; and Piper Chapman. By watching these episodes multiple times, the team analyzed everything from camera angles and lighting to the silence between words and the specific way characters moved or spoke. They were looking for patterns in how the show depicted the struggle to maintain one's identity against a system designed to erase it.
The analysis revealed that the show portrays five main themes that define the queer experience in prison: institutional violence, medical and psychological abuse, religious-based homophobia, the regulation of gender expression, and the strategies characters use to cope and resist. The researchers found that the show does not just tell us these things happen; it shows us how they feel through the language of film. For instance, when a character is placed in solitary confinement, the camera often uses tight, cramped framing and cold, harsh lighting to make the viewer feel the isolation and the loss of humanity. In one scene involving the character Sophia Burset, the sound design drops to a near-silent hum, emphasizing the administrative cruelty of denying her medical care. These visual choices suggest that the prison system treats queer bodies as "unintelligible"—meaning the system cannot recognize or accept them as valid, so it tries to control or erase them.
The study also highlighted how the show depicts the delayed nature of trauma. When a character experiences a shocking event, such as the death of a fellow inmate during a protest, the show does not always show immediate grief. Instead, it uses flashbacks, fragmented memories, and moments of silence to show that the pain is still processing, returning later in ways that disrupt the character's sense of self. This aligns with the idea that trauma is an "unclaimed experience," something that happens but cannot be fully owned or understood until much later. The researchers noted that the show often contrasts these moments of pain with scenes of resistance. When characters come together, holding hands or chanting in unison, the lighting shifts to warmer tones, and the camera pulls back to show a wider, more open space. This visual shift suggests that while the system tries to break them apart, the characters find a way to survive by creating a shared sense of community and agency.
One of the most significant findings is how the show portrays the regulation of gender. Characters who do not conform to traditional male or female roles, such as those who refuse to wear feminine prison uniforms or who assert their identity through their posture and speech, are often shown as sites of conflict. The researchers observed that the show uses these moments to demonstrate that the prison system enforces a strict set of rules about how bodies should look and act. When a character like Big Boo refuses to play by these rules, her defiance is framed not just as personal rebellion, but as a political act that challenges the very foundation of the prison's control. The study suggests that the show successfully illustrates how queer individuals navigate these oppressive structures, finding ways to maintain their dignity and identity even when the system is designed to strip them away.
However, the researchers are careful to note the limits of their work. Because the study looked at only ten episodes and relied on the interpretation of the researchers themselves, it cannot claim to have found every possible truth about the show or the real-life experiences of incarcerated LGBTQ+ people. The analysis did not include interviews with actual prisoners or data on how audiences reacted to these scenes, so it remains a study of the text itself rather than a comprehensive account of reality. The authors suggest that future research could explore how viewers interpret these stories or compare this show with other prison dramas to see how different cultures handle these themes. Despite these limitations, the study offers a clear, detailed look at how a popular television series can make the invisible mechanics of institutional violence visible. It shows that by paying close attention to the small details of a scene—the light, the sound, the silence—we can understand the deep psychological impact of living in a system that refuses to see you for who you are.
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