submitted by Julia S - What if you lived in a world where once you turn 16 you have a full body reconstruction to make you "pretty"? This is the premise of the book The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. The main character, Tally, is very excited to become a Pretty so she can join her one-time best friend, Peris, in Prettyville. She currently lives in Uglyville with the rest of the under-16 population. While there, she encounters a girl named Shay who has decided she won't undergo the operation to change what she looks like. She runs away because she doesn't want to be forced to turn pretty. She offers to take Tally with her but Tally wants the surgery so she refuses. The government finds out about Shay and tells Tally that she cannot get the surgery unless she tells them where to find Shay so they can force Shay to turn pretty like everyone else.
Would you...
1. Go after Shay, expose her to the government and then be able to turn pretty (even though you know Shay doesn't want to be turned and it would ruin your friendship)?
2. Go after Shay, stay with her and never become pretty but keep your friendship? Remember, if you stay ugly, everyone will resent you and find you horribly unnatractive but you will have the true friendship of Shay.
So, what is beauty? Is it internal or external? Think about a good friend you made this year. Would you leave them and sell them out just to be pretty like everyone else?
17 comments:
I know everyone thinks if you say you'd stay ugly you're just doing what is morally correct, but I believe I would choose my friend over some petty reason. I have actually. I can count a number of occasions where i've made sure my friends were ok and safe, even though it would be ba for me. I think I would rather have a true friend than to be "pretty".
If I was Tally in this sitution I would choose to keep the friendship. I much rather have a good friendship than to go to a place where noone excepts you for who you really are. Why would you want to go somewhere where everyone is basically the same, pretty. And I agree with kace. I always make sure that my friends are ok and not in any danger. That's what friends are for. Friends don't make you in danger. Therefore, I much rather choose a friendship over being pretty and expected not for the real you.
If I was a guy version of Tally in this situation I would choose to stay ugly and keep the friend. I think that if every one was pretty then no one would be pretty because pretty and other opinion statements are mostly dependent on perspective. Twenty thousand years ago we currently would consider the people of that time ugly. They represent the people younger than 16 years old and we represent the pretty people. If every one including you get's prettier than no one is getting prettier because there is no control (what happened to the 20,000 year old people to become who we are today). Therefore prettiness is based off of perspective. All that is now left is do you want a good friend or not, I want the good friend so I pick to not turn my friend in to become a pretty.
I have never read this book, I have heard many bad things and good things about this book. However it does not seem like the right book for me. Based on the post and comments i cant say i would keep friendship. If you have a close friend you had to risk to become "pretty" it is not worth it, you had friends before you became pretty so what does it matter anyway?
I would rather stay ugly and have a true friend then turn "pretty". Friendship is a very important thing to have because you have someone you can trust and tell anything to. Friendship is more important then becoming "pretty" because your friends don't care about what you look like, only who you are on the inside, if you become pretty everyone will just think that you are just another pretty face and won't get to know the real you.
I would definitely sell out any one of my friends if I lived in the same society as the main characters in Uglyville. That is because it is human nature, in the end we all want to be accepted, and the only way to do that in that society is by turning pretty. In the book it says,” ‘I don’t want to be ugly all my life. I want those perfect eyes and lips, and for everyone to look at me and gasp. And for everyone who sees me to think Who's that? and want to get to know me and listen to what i say.’" Everyone living in Uglyville has always been taught that if they don’t fit society's image then they are ugly and worthless. The people truly believe in that, so why would they give up their believes for a friend they just met? I know i wouldn’t. Therefore, whether people want to admit it or not, they would most likely rather sell out a friend to be accepted, instead of trading every ounce of respect for a new friend. Its common sense and human nature.
I agree with kami, if i lived in the society in the book i would definatley become pretty. As kami said "its common sense and human nature." In the book Tally is friends with Shay for only two weeks that in my opinion is hardley enough time to get to know a person. On the other hand she has been friends with Peris all her life. Ever since a child Tally has dreamed of becoming "preaty". Why give up your life time dream for someone you hardly know? Therefore if i lived in that society i would definetly become preaty because i would want to do what i want and let others make their own decitions.
I would probably choose to stay ugly. I've never really been one for going out of my way to fit in. Also *SPOILER ALERT* I'm not to crazy about the idea of having something implanted into my brain to make me stupid. So....no thanks, I'd rather stay ugly and not even for the sake of anyone else.
I would go ater Shay and stay with her because the place she ran off has a different society. There, everyone that was considered "ugly" is normal so that all the problems such as resentment, and judgement would be gone. Therefore, If i were Tally, I would choose to stay with Shay.
If I lived in the society I would not become pretty and stay the way I am. Beauty, to me, is internal and people shouldn't have to undergo surgery to make everyone the same. In the book I think that Tally should keep her friendship with Shay because I think friendship is worth a lot more than beauty. And I think it is unfair to everyone who lives in Prettyville, because the people who live won't accerpt anyone for who they really are if they aren't pretty. Therefore, I would chose friendship over beauty.
I agree with devin. Beauty is internal. Just because you have sugrery dosent mean your gonna turn out pretty. Beauty is an inner thing and thats why not one can take it away from you.
I would choose to go with Shay if I were in this situation because 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. I have known the prettiest people who have the worst personalities, so they are ugly to me. Oppositely, I have known people that maybe have an awkward feature or two, but have the most stunning personality which makes them beautiful. In this case then, the "uglier" person is way more gorgeous than the "prettier" person. So going with Shay may mean not getting my face redone, but I would rather be genuinely beautiful and keep my friend than have fake beauty along with dull strangers.
If I was in this position, I would choose to stay ugly and keep the friend because beauty is tangible and friendship is intangible. A bond between to friends is eternal you can not replace that for any amount of beauty. Therefore, I would choose friendship over beauty any day.
If I was Tally I would want to become pretty rather than having a friendship with Shay because i would want to be accepted and have friends once I turned pretty,I would want to fit in with the rest of them. Also our society today is almost like this because, pretty people have it easier than the ugly people.
i think its bad how are society thinks that if u are ugly then ur not as important as being pretty.
I think that beauty is definetely internal because it doesnt matter what you look like on the outside, it matters who you are on the inside. Today, the image of beauty is butchered and has young people thinking that what you look like on the outside is the only thing that matters. People dont choose friends based on what they look like. Most people choose friends based on their personality and what traits make them a good friend.
If I was Tally in this sitution I would choose to expose her to the government and force her to be preety. I say this because I just would want to go with the flow of things and have everybody preety. I know good friendships are hard to come by, but there is always room for new friends
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