Being Sophia Burset: Communicating Trans Identity in Orange is the New Black

Abstract

This article discusses the creation of a discursive space for trans identity in the TV series Orange is the New Black. It explores the ways in which the character of Sophia Burset is defined discursively and through the linguistic choices made by the scriptwriter in designing the script. The analysis compares the original English dialogue and its dubbed Italian adaptation. It highlights two major patterns which reveal how cisgender characters in the series talk about trans identity and how self-representation is achieved. The study offers a close discourse analysis of selected scenes from the seven Seasons the series is comprised of, drawing from the framework of Sociocultural Linguistics and from studies in the field of Audiovisual Translation, offering itself as a further brick in the construction of a trans linguistics.