Mod. 4 - UGLIES by Scott Westerfeld

Bibliographic data
Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse, 2005. ISBN 9781415586198


Critical analysis
Uglies is set in a dystopian world, in the future, where when teenagers turn sixteen, they are given an operation to make them pretty. Pretties have big eyes, fat lips, not too skinny and not fat. Sounds perfect, right? This “pretty” comes at a cost to the teenagers, but they do not know what that cost is…even after their surgery.

Tally is the main protagonist in this first book in the trilogy. She is nicknamed “Squint” because of her eyes. She is tired of being an ugly and dreams of the day she can return to Peris, her best friend in New Pretty Town. Tally meets Shay and they become fast friends. Tally believes in the Pretty transformations and doesn’t understand why Shay hasn’t decided to start planning her new look. Shay is more adventurous than Tally. She knows of another place, another town, called Smoke, where Pretties don’t matter.

When her friend lives to go to Smoke to evade her own surgery, Tally does not go with her and instead chooses to stay for her surgery. However, she is forced to go seek Shay by a Dr. Cable. Tally is faced with a decision to either turn in her friend or never turn pretty at all.

Westerfeld’s take on this dual society, The Pretties and The Uglies is different and familiar at the same time. In the Uglies’ world the government raises the children – not the parents. The government keeps them all controlled with many rules and regulations. The Pretties are allowed to do whatever they want. All Pretties want to do is party and socialize. Because of their transformation from Uglies, the government is not worried about Pretties getting into trouble.

Tally finds love in the Smoke, which seems a bit rushed and forced to this reader. Because of it’s hurried romance it seemed less believable, but he and his parents (former doctors that helped perform the transformation) helped Tally see the truth behind the prettiness. David informs Tally of the disagreements with The Uglies/Pretties and the others that live in the Smoke. In school Tally tells him they say it's a complicated matter and don't discuss it any further. David tells her that it's not so complicated. He explains,

Maybe the reason war and all that other stuff went away is that there are no more controversies, no disagreements, no people demanding change. Just masses of smiling pretties, and a few people left to run things. (267)

Tally figures it out...and says,

Becoming pretty doesn't just change the way you look.

And David answers,

No [...] it changes the way you think. (268)

The great storyline of Pretties that conform to the rest of society and the others in Smoke have minds of their own is reminiscent of our society today. With reality shows about making people look “pretty” and transforming themselves it’s no wonder teenagers will think this is an enticing and thrilling read. It’s a wonderful parable of adolescent life that teens will quickly relate to. The ending left readers searching to find out what happened next for Tally. It is definitely a keep-you-at-the-edge-of-your-seat reading with all the suspense.


Practical suggestion
Book website: http://www.scottwesterfeld.com/books/uglies.htm
Author website: http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/

Because a movie is in works for this project, have teens create a book/movie trailer for this first book in the trilogy. And, of course, read the rest of the series and do the same.

Discussion questions to ask:
Would you give up your ability to think independently in exchange for being happy, beautiful, perpetually healthy, and rich?

Other than the pretty operation, what are the main differences between the pretty society and our own? (Are there any ways in which the pretty society is healthier than ours?)

On your sixteenth birthday, how would you feel about being forced to have the surgery to become pretty? Would you feel like Tally -- looking forward to being beautiful and bubbly -- or like Shay -- wanting to escape the surgery and stay ugly, but remain herself? If your best friend asked you to not have the surgery, what do think you would have chosen to do?

Activities:

Have teenagers develop their own hoverboard.

Watch for the movie scheduled to come out in 2011!

External assessments
School Library Journal
Ethical concerns will provide a good source of discussion as honesty, justice, and free will are all oppressed in this well-conceived dystopia. Characterization, which flirts so openly with the importance of teen self-concept, is strong, and although lengthy, the novel is highly readable with a convincing plot that incorporates futuristic technologies and a disturbing commentary on our current public policies. Fortunately, the cliff-hanger ending promises a sequel.

Booklist

Although the narrative's brisk pace is more successful in scenes of hover-boarding action than in convincingly developing Tally's key relationships, teens will sink their teeth into the provocative questions about invasive technology, image-obsessed society, and the ethical quandaries of a mole-turned-ally. These elements, along with the obvious connections to reality programs such as Miami Slice, will surely cause this ingenious series debut to cement Westerfeld's reputation for high-concept YA fiction that has wide appeal. Suggest M. T. Anderson's Feed (2002) and Westerfeld's own So Yesterday (2004) to readers antsy for the next installment.