Who Gets to Decide What's Pretty?
Scott Westerfeld successfully explores the societal ideal of
beauty in his thought-provoking futuristic novel, Uglies, which is the
first book in a series (Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras). In
brief, Tally Youngblood is nearly 16 and has been waiting her entire life to be
"pretty." She, like all individuals in the novel, are considered
ugly, living apart from polite society, until their 16th birthday when an
operation changes them into some acceptable, predetermined form of pretty.
Told completely from Tally's point of view, we’re immersed
into her thought process and watch it change when she meets Shay who has a
completely different philosophy about prettiness, although it appears no one
has a choice. As Tally reconsiders her entire point of view, we learn there is a
consequence to changing your physical appearance. The word “shallow,”
immediately leapt into my mind when I discovered the cost.
Although this can properly be labeled a young adult novel,
adults may find it intriguing as well.
What meaning does beauty have and do we overvalue it? Do we
make mistakes about labels of pretty and ugly? Do these translate into our
perspectives about fatness or thinness? What about red hair or blonde hair? Short
or tall? Do these ideas split our society into two groups, as the novel
suggests?
The questions Tally has in her life are ones we start asking
ourselves while reading the novel. So while the plot is engaging and entertaining,
filled with tension and conflict, it is also Westerfeld’s commentary on a slice
of our culture.
The book does leave me with a bigger question. Can common
sense overcome Madison Avenue? What do you think?
You have finished reading “When You’re Pretty, Do You Have a
Brain?” Please consider leaving a comment.
Holly, this is a series that I've been wanting to check out. I think this hits home for so many teens and adults--we all struggle with how we look. How can we not when we turn on the TV or even read a magazine? Thanks for sharing this and reminding me about it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. He raises big questions about all those things. I, myself, am still left with some unanswered. I like books that make me think in that way. By the way, when you read, do so with a hard copy. I listened to one on audio and the reader is terrible. I checked to see if she reads them all, and she does. T
DeleteHolly