Response 4: “Levinas and Laozi on the deconstruction of Ethics”

“Derrida insists that meanings are determined by the ‘play of differences’ in the words themselves, in the way they signify, and in the way we use them for our own purposes, whatever they may be. The play of differences, in turn, is made possible by the fact that part of the meaning of a word is the very thing, or things, that the word excludes, for example, the ‘day’ that ‘night’ excludes, the ‘oak tree’ that the ‘acorn’ excludes. Very often, what is excluded is merely deferred, like the day that is deferred from what now is the night, the oak tree that is deferred from the present acorn…What is deferred, or excluded, can be called upon to undermine the unity of meaning, to blur the sharp line that divides the two terms of a binary opposition, thus leading to a multiplicity of meanings. For many literary critics, this constitutes deconstructive reading (GT 135).”

I wanted to do a deconstructive analysis on a character from the TV series Orange is the New Black, called Red, and analyze what the presence and absence of certain indicators tells the audience about her.

The picture on the left is of Red before she goes to prison. The one on the right is after she has adjusted, and has even managed to thrive while incarcerated.

When she's still a free woman, Red's hair (although a dark red) is tame and in a neat half updo. Her makeup is toned down. Although Red and her husband have immigrated from Russia and run a small store, her husband is looking to get in with a successful Russian businessman. In his attempts to do so, he encourages her to get on good terms with the businessmen's wives. Even though Red's attempt to socialize with the women fails miserably, her clever business idea gets the attention of said successful Russian businessman that her husband had been wanting all along.

The second picture is after Red has become accustomed to life in prison. Her hair color, makeup, and nails have become more vibrant, and all three directly reflect her bolder personality. Red's hair is no longer in a neat updo, but is styled to make her look fierce and ready for attack (her experiences in prison have made her quick to react when provoked, and if she doesn't immediately retaliate, she will soon). In prison, Red doesn't forego the maternal role. Her hair, although fierce, is also in a style that brings to mind the image of a mother hen. She is quick to protect her prison "family" and she has certain rules that she expects them to abide by (such as remaining drug free).

The absence of fierce hair and bold colors in the picture on the left indicates her demureness. Although Red is wife, a clever woman, and a mother, it is her role as an obedient wife that is emphasized.

The absence of a tame appearance in the picture on the left reflects how much bolder and more vibrant Red has become. Although she is locked up, it is in prison that Red is able to showcase all of her strengths, without one role taking precedence over the other.


Image sources:
1. http://projectfandom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/red.png
2. http://beta.img.cbsnews.com/i/2014/05/16/ff074f19-1527-4bc5-8454-2c9865a2fa76/v0915oitnb-         s2busshelter67x455cemusany6red.jpg