Abby Jolivette

Cornerstone
Professor Harken
2 November 2015

Freedom of Friendships (2nd Draft)

In todays world, the term freedom has become praised and fought for. In America, we
hear about it all the time; freedom of speech, freedom of love, freedom of religion. The overall
sense of freedom is exhilarating for some, and most people are learning to understand what is
most important in life. Whether it be a friendship, or a relationship with someone, we all need
other people to lean on and support us. Even though some people get caught up in their jobs,
houses, and other material things, people need people to support them; therefore, friendship
allows you to be who you really are, helps you through lifes tough situations.
Through her discovery of bittersweet freedom and her many diverse friendships, Kerman
shares with the readers how important it is to have other people along her side as she goes
through prison and deals with maintaining her relationship with Larry. The use of alliteration
when stating, I was overwhelmed with kindness and concern and cried over every letter
(Kerman 28), shows the readers how loved she felt by her family while going through the
confrontation and challenges of dealing with earlier mistakes. The repetition of multiple c
sounds captures the readers attention which brings emphasis to the meaning of the words in this
sentence. The words kindness, concern, and cried all appeal to the emotion Piper felt while
receiving these letters from loved ones. Kerman also uses repetition to create an emphasis on the
feelings of the characters. The use of repeating certain events, such as Larry coming to visit and

the amount of love Piper feels every time he comes, reminds readers constantly of how important
their relationship is to Piper. Without the repetition, the effect Larry has on Piper would not be
as intense. The breath-taking imagery Kerman uses further emphasizes the important moments
of her story. An example of this is during her only birthday in prison, when her friend Pop gives
her a pair of slippers custom-made from another inmate which were "double soles from shower
shoes bound together and completely covered in pink and white cotton yarn crocheted into
intricate designs," (Kerman 207). This little one of a kind gift has a lasting impression on Piper,
emphasizing the amount of love she has for her friends. The use of rhetorical devices throughout
the book Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman, allows the readers to connect to the
feelings of Piper and understand what she is going through on a personal level.
The story of Piper Kerman herself and her relationship to the book is a perfect fit, as she
is the author and the main character. She has credibility and is able to discuss her story because
shes the one who lived it. She knows from experience what it is like to live in prison and she
understands the feelings and emotions behind it. From making bad decisions and facing the
consequences herself, she is able to share with the readers her reality and how her friends helped
her through it. As she says in the authors note of her novel, My own experience was, in many
ways, dramatically different from the popular conception and prevailing narrative about prison:
whos there, why theyre there, and what life there is like. (Kerman 319). Although the novel is
not an exact replication of Kermans life, aspects of it are taken from her journey and, therefore,
grant her the credibility of sharing this story.
Through slang and the negative connotation of the diction used by Johnathon Larson in
the musical, Rent, the characters portray how they truly feel about their struggles and the daily
challenges they face. The songs suggest a bitter tone towards the situations through the use of

rhetorical questions and sarcastic diction. How can you connect in an age / where strangers,
landlords, lover / Your own blood cells betray? (Rent). The rhetorical question here isnt
actually looking for an answer, but its making the audience think about how you truly can
connect to this world: friends. Larson also uses certain characters to refocus the audience to his
theme. Angels constant optimism reveals to the crowd how Larson feels about dealing with
struggles. Without Angels love for life and ability to be freely who she is, the characters in this
story wouldnt feel as hopeful. The use of personification in the prologue, We have an illegal
wood burning stove; its exhaust pipe crawls up to a skylight. All of our electrical appliances are
plugged into one thick extension cord which snakes its way out a window. Outside, a small tent
city has sprung up in the lot next to our building (Prologue), emphasizes the sarcastic tone and
creates effective imagery for the audience. Through the songs, words, and actions of the
characters, Larson creates a reaction from the audience allowing them to think about the
importance of friendship.
Larson grew up a music lover, similar to the character of Roger in Rent, put ended up
living in poverty before his debut of Rent. He lived in situations similar to the characters living
situations. The night before his debut, Larson died unexpectedly at his home. Even more
uncanny are the parallels between Larsons life and his charactersmany of whom cling to life
knowing that it could end at any moment. Larson lived a life full of music and he was very
close with his family. The importance of his friends and family showed through his use of love
and friendship in Rent, as the play related very well to his own life. His own sister even said,
This performance is Johnathon. This is my brother (PBS1).
Both Larson and Kerman relate to the characters and plot line of their productions, and
they portray the need for friendship. The use of profanity in both the play and the book allow the

audience to sense how the characters truly feel. This diction of both Larson and Kerman is used
to enhance the mood and attitude. The mood during the core of both stories is weighed down
and depressed, which is why the characters are often expressing their feelings through their word
choice. The attitude of the different characters also allows them to unite in an unusual way, since
they are going through the same depressing situations or events. They realize that they have one
another through it all. Larson and Kerman choose to not sugar coat their characters feelings,
allowing their audience to understand the reality of living in poverty, prison, or whatever the
situation may be with friends by their side.
The message both authors made when creating their product is: you never know how long
you have with someone before theyre gone. In Pipers case, she was taken away from her
attentive boyfriend unexpectedly. Throughout the book she learned how important he was to her
and how much she took their time together for granted. I love you! I love you! I said into his
neck and his nice oatmeal sweatshirt I packed for him. And he squeezed me and told me he loved
me too. (Kerman 34). The amplification of love in this quote relates back to the message as it
emphasizes the abundance of feelings they had towards each other at this moment. In Rent a
similar moment is shown as they sing Seasons of Love about their friend, Angel. After Angel
unexpectedly dies, the friends share their favorite moments with Angel and unite in a song to
express their love for her. Phrases such as, How about love?/ Measure in love/ Remember the
love/ Seasons of love The parallelism used in these lyrics also adds to the prominence of the
word love. This word seems to be the answer to most questions in this play. The repetition
and similarities of these sentences makes a lasting impression on the audience as the word love
rings in their ears after the performance. Through their use of rhetorical devices for emphasis,

Larson and Kerman get their message across to their audience as they create lyrics and text to
make clear love is the overall message they are receiving.
The audience of the performance Rent is most likely the MTV generation as it is
written in the 90s when most of MTV was music videos. It can also be reaching out to the
younger generation now as people who are out searching for love and life in our free world.
People in their 20s can relate to the struggle of finding a job and living a life they are happy
with, which is why Rent can reach them on a personal level. The hectic tone of the
performance is similar to the attitudes of most young people as they are stressed and searching.
Through songs, the audience is able to hold their attention on the message. The audience of
OITNB is a younger generation as well. Similar to Rent, OITNB is geared towards the people
who are experiencing true freedom for the first time, people who have no one to tell them what
to do or how to act. In a way, Kerman is giving young adults advice through her text. Between
the lines, she is saying, from experience, how mistakes made now can lead to consequences in
the future. The point she is making is, with no one telling you right from wrong, it is up to you
to decide how to live your life. She also makes it clear that the relationships she made with other
people through her mistakes, prison, and her love life, changed her and challenged her in ways
that allowed her to grow. Both works reach for the young adults who are in their own, new
world of freedom and friendships, searching and stressing over the new found independence.
The custom of reason in a persuasion is an important technique of appealing to an
audience. The characters use their common sense to back up their arguments and make their
decisions. Pipers use of common sense kicked in when she learned to lean on others for support
and understanding. She received support and assistance right away as the females around her
gave her objects she couldnt yet afford. You didnt have the money to buy tooth past or soap?

Tough. Better hope that another prisoner would give it to you. I wanted to bawl every time
another lady brought me a personal care item and reassured me, Itll be okay, Kerman.
(Kerman 49). As woman, it is natural to see another woman suffering, and help them or support
them in any way. On the other hand, often, the characters in Rent would use the logical
reasoning of cause and consequence. Mimi is a drug addict, who suffers from HIV and is slowly
becoming sicker and sicker. Because of her unhealthy habits, she is not doing very well. Along
with Mimi, many of the other characters choose to make poor decisions, causing consequences to
emerge. Overall, both the musical and the book have logical details to reach out to the audience
and create an understanding of the situations and their consequences.
The use of pathos in a play or novel is an appeal to the audiences sense of identity or
their emotions. When watching a play or reading a novel, the most common reaction is to feel
how you would feel if you were in a situation similar to the that of a characters. Through the
detailed imagery, and the use of an emotional tone throughout both the novel and the play,
Kerman and Larson pull strongly on the audiences emotions, allowing them to feel the way the
characters are feeling. This sort of tug places the audience in the shoes of the characters and
helps them to create a relationship with the production and the theme of both the play and the
novel. The need for love, friendship, and clarity in Rent and Orange is the New Black is
undoubtedly appealing to the emotions of the audience.

Conclusion paragraph

Works Cited
"Orange Is the New Black." Orange Is the New Black. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2015.
PBS. Rent. Thirteen, 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.