Journal Entry 1 (Reflection)

This journal entry was from Tally Youngblood’s point of view. Right on the day of her operation to become pretty she is told to bring her friend Shay in or she remains Ugly forever. This time of Tally’s life was crucial since she faced a life- changing dilemma.  I wanted to show that Tally felt it was very unfair and cruel to take something away from her just because of someone else’s choice or decision. This relates to the theme of social injustice because nobody should be put in such a situation where you must betray someone you love in order to acquire something you deserve. You are punished for somebody’s “wrong doing” (we can also question if Shay’s actions are wrong at all). In such circumstances, in front of such dilemma, I guess, everyone may feel confused, hopeless, and perhaps even angry.

I also wanted to show that Tally wanted to become beautiful simply because she needed to feel accepted.  People in the story believe that if you’re not pretty you’re not accepted and you’re different. One of the morals of this story is to be who you are and in the journal entry Tally is trying to become like everybody else; meanwhile Shay has learned that being beautiful isn’t everything. Also, Tally shows certain desperation because she is sick of being worthless and ugly. She believes that when becoming pretty her whole world will become beautiful. 

Journal Entry 1 (Tally)

I don’t find it fair that now just because Shay ran away to live her own life I have to suffer for her not being here. On the day of my operation to finally become pretty I get taken to a special circumstance section and met Dr. Cable. She instructed me that the only way to get pretty is to find Shay and bring her in. Why am I chosen to find her? And it’s totally cruel to leave me ugly just because of my friend. She is responsible for her own actions and I’m not the boss of her.  My only chance was to agree to find her and somehow convince her to come back. I had to say yes or my pretty dreams were down the drain. The doctor then handed me a tracer to activate when I found her. I don’t know if this is the greatest idea, but for now it’s my only hope.  

                As for the moment, the only clue I have to finding Tally is rhyming note she left me before taking off.  I hope she hasn’t gotten herself in some trouble like I have.  It still is so difficult to understand why I suffer from her choice to be who she wants. I believe there is a secret or something the pretties are hiding from us. I don’t want to make the wrong choice about who I am and who I want to be.

                I feel confused about what Shay has been doing. I don’t know if I should help her make the right choice or if I should leave her to live her life without being pretty.  Becoming pretty has been my dream ever since I was a little girl. I look up to them and I feel like I want to be a part of their group and not feel left out. I remember that day when Shay was in my room and I wanted to help her choose what she would become when she turned pretty. Her comments were “See this is what they want to do. They just want to make us feel bad about ourselves” I find their being nothing wrong with becoming pretty. What could possibly be wrong!? They have fun all the time, everybody is beautiful, you live in nice mansions and everybody is your friend. I remember that moment when I visited Peris and felt awkward and different. I never want to feel that again. I want to feel happy, free and accepted. Prettytown was just magical that night and being a part of it all just made me feel happy. 

                 I plan on trying to figure out the clues Shay left me and head out on my journey to becoming beautiful. If I can just find her and convince her that Pretty is the way to go my entire life would change for the better. I feel like for once I would feel accomplished and glad of who I am.  I do not want to be discriminated and on a lower rank than pretties.  I want to be Pretty, now!

Newspaper Article 2 (reflection)

This newspaper article is a propaganda targeted towards the wonderful and fun city of pretties. It is showing how the society has no voice and the only thing connecting it to the rest of the world is media controlled by the government. This information can sometimes be misleading and false which affects the society greatly. Writing the article I thought how in the society of the pretties they don’t have freedom of speech and are often brainwashed from the operation. The media covers this up by only showing the good and fun aspects of turning beautiful. In propaganda media the facts are often blown up in order to influence the attitude of people towards being pretty. This is the reason I wrote the article exaggerating the world of pretties using the clues from the book that they only have fun. The secrets and problems of the society are greatly hidden and usually only one side of the story is portrayed.

            The article is a great addition to the story, but it also shows the dystopian society which is the author’s idea. In this sense it praises the author’s text.

            I believe that if this piece was in the book it would show how clueless the society is and how the government controls all thoughts and beliefs of people. 

Newspaper Article 2 (written by me)

The Perfect World of Pretties

By Jessica Fontane

            The excitement to begin a whole new part of your life is in every single Uglie who is about to turn 16. The magic of pretty town is unbelievable. People are so joyous, playing on the streets, having fun, partying and just living their lives. Why would anybody choose to live in some lousy old city like The Rusties? It is just a boring old dump and people should never go there. Pretty town is the best city in the world. You cannot go wrong! Every single being is gorgeous and beautiful. 

            The ugly and gross part of your life is ending and the magnificent beautiful part is just beginning. For any Uglies out there who are dreaming of becoming one day a pretty, it is amazing! Along with beauty we think many other characteristics are involved. Pretties are funnier, more friendly, more intelligent, more exciting, in possession of better social skills, are sexually warmer, are more interesting, poised and even more independent. Good-looking people make better persuaders. This may be because attractive people tend to be better communicators and possess more confidence or just because we all look up to beauty. Don’t you want to be looked up to and special? Be a role model!

            Furthermore, the events in this city are magnifying. Just two days ago the parade shook the entire town into a huge fest. Music was playing loudly everywhere, people were dancing feeling happy and excited. Swings and rides filled the streets. Smiles and happiness was upon everybody's beautiful face. You really have to be in it to experience it. 
            Always remember that Prettytown is the most vibrant and exuberant town in the area. It is simply an endless amusement park filled with beautiful people and souls.
            Ask yourself why would you live anywhere else?

Newspaper Article 1 (Reflection)

          I chose the article "If You Think Beautiful People Hold All the Cards, You're Right, Says a Researcher" from People's Magazine because it displays the injustice of biased thinking based on appearance. In the article the author talks about how beautiful people are treated superiorly in our contemporary society. They are marked easily on tests, most times they are not even convicted in court  and their life is much easier just because they are beautiful. When first seeing the title I was very shocked and the facts lead me to think that it is totally unfair to judge someone on something they have no control over and to praise others with something they are just born with. I believe that this is the greatest injustice in the modern society as well as in the "Uglies" society where people are separated based on appearance.  This article connects greatly to the novel since pretty people are thought to be worthier than any other being in both writings.
          The author of the article supports the plot of "Uglies" as he believes that children in our society are influenced to believe that grotesque people are always losers opposed to the beautiful who always live happily ever after. In this way children want to be beautiful when they grow up since they see the benefits in fiction ,but fiction is not real life. However, even in real life the  author states that bias occurs to enhance pretty people's status.
            This article made me think that this society is on the wrong track as well as the society in "Uglies". If this  judgmental mind-set keeps growing the people will have difficulty to sustain themselves and believing in who they are. With all this confusion many people even lose there self identity and become someone else.

Newspaper Article 1

              

If You Think Beautiful People Hold All the Cards, You're Right, Says a Researcher

By; Margie Bonnett

              After seven years of research, psychologist Thomas Cash says he has learned something: "There's more to the subject of beauty than meets the eye." That, he quickly adds, is not just another cliché. "Beautiful people are perceived as sexier, smarter, happier, more employable and more mentally stable. Being unattractive can place a person in social and economic jeopardy." 

              Cash, 32, an associate professor at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., once had papers graded with the students' pictures attached. The attractive students not only got better marks, but graders invented excuses for good-looking students with bad papers (e.g., "He just wasn't trying hard" and "She isn't living up to her potential"). In another experiment, Cash submitted résumés with photos to personnel consultants. The best-looking were usually recommended before candidates with identical records. Cash also cites a 1975 study done at the University of Maryland that suggests juries are not so likely to convict attractive defendants as ugly ones. 

            Bias toward beauty starts early. By 4, children are influenced by it, Cash says. "Writers make bad people grotesque—the wicked stepmother or the witch," he explains. "Good people are beautiful—Cinderella or Snow White." 

             He categorizes Jacqueline Kennedy's fascination with homely Ari Onassis as "an exchange," a phenomenon that occurs less frequently nowadays. "Beauty and bucks used to be an acceptable match," says Cash, "but as women have gained economic self-sufficiency other qualities, including the attractiveness of a man, have become more important." 

             Cash believes people generally pick mates and even friends on the same level of attractiveness. There is also surprising unanimity in defining beauty—bright eyes, symmetrical features and a thin to medium build. 

             "People want a predictable, controllable world," Cash explains. "In the absence of experience with another person, we use whatever information is available to anticipate what that person is going to be like—even if it's only looks. Judgments are made on that basis. The idea is particularly distasteful to Americans, who have the notion all people are created equal." Beauty can have drawbacks, however. In Cash's studies beautiful people are often perceived as self-centered, materialistic and intimidating. But on balance, beauty is almost always more positive than negative. 

              Cash, who regards himself as moderately handsome ("a 7 on the Bo Derek scale"), grew up on a big chicken farm in Nashville. He recalls one traumatic high school blind date: "She was fat, smelled bad and had braces that looked like half the fences in Texas in her mouth. I had two reactions: 'Wait till I get the guy who fixed me up' and 'God, I bet she catches hell a lot. I better be nice.' " 

              A job as a shoe salesman got him interested in studying human nature. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, he was steered into beauty research by an adviser while working on his doctorate at George Peabody College. 

             He lives in a ranch-style house in Norfolk and spends as much time as possible with fiancée Diane Marine, 31 (whom Cash also considers a 7). Both are divorced, and Cash has two children—Tommy, 13, and Benjamin, 8—who visit on holidays. 

           Cash has already parlayed his research into consulting jobs with the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association and with Clairol. "I want to find out if using cosmetics improves a person's self-image," Cash says. Nonetheless, he cautions, never underestimate the success potential of the ungorgeous. "Look," he says, "at John Belushi." 




Here is the link to the official article in People's Magazine by Margie Bonnett http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20076918,00.html

Visual Illustrations

This picture to me represents the dystopian city or life in the modern world. At first, when seeing the picture, I thought that it seemed like a normal 2012 city, but when really focusing on the details it sends a message that this picture is a futuristic society.  One of the main factors that stood out to me is the darkness in the city. There are no lights and it all seems dull and gloomy.  Also, it seems very crowded. In the world today people mostly think about making money by buying and building major towers, apartments or buildings. Even sometimes the greediness of people leads to tearing down meaningful landmarks to build more modernized structures.  If the construction industry continues to be thoughtless and driven only by  money, the places where people live will soon turn into such a crowded city that every building will be attached.  Every single structure in the illustration has an antenna which means that the society mostly relies on electronics to maintain their life. This, I believe, is a major problem in the society when electronics take over man kind. This happens in a previous book I have read called “The Veldt''.

 Another analogy that the picture creates in me is that all the buildings in the picture are so similar and identical. There is no uniqueness between each structure.  There are also mainly two colors grey and black. This is the same in the story “Uglies”. Everybody looks similar and has lost a sense of identity.  Also in the picture the buildings completely overpower the people. In this dystopian society the people are like little ants that aren’t even noticed.  I chose this picture for the book because I think it is a great example of the dark evil dystopian society.  

This picture is a great example of “Prettytown”. I believe that the citizens will always be happy and pretty, but will never be free. They will forever be trapped in the society’s perception and will always be brainwashed and held from reality and freedom.  Everything seems beautiful and wonderful in this city, but why is it  in a cage?  I think it is because someone else decides what goes on and controls the city. For the dwellers freedom is an illusion. 

To me, this image summarizes the entire society and world presented in the book. The light coming from the window symbolizes freedom which seems so close, but will never really be found. The people in the author’s world do not even realize the window. They will never know what freedom is even though it is so close.  In the book, BEAUTY is this light which makes people believe that their lives are perfect. The way they live comforts them. However, some characters like “Shay” and other smokies who refuse to take the operation realize the real light is more than just being pretty; they find real freedom not the illusion. In addition, my thoughts lead me to the observation that even if the people find out that they are in a cage, they may never escape the cruel cage.  This leads me to another puzzling question; how do we know that we are not in a cage?  

This picture illustrates the moment in which Shay decides to run away from Uglyville to The Smoke. This is a significant event in the story because when she leaves she decides to not get pretty and to stay ugly and free forever.  This alters the mood for the rest of the story and later Tally is forced to betray Shay.  The friendship between the two characters is challenged due to the fact that Tally must bring Shay back in order to turn pretty.      

 The illustration shows certain personalities of Shay. As you can see she seems muddy and dirty therefore she is still an ugly. Also, Shay is very determined and focused on forgetting Uglyville and running as fast as she can to reach The Smoke.  This is a great picture because the character is facing the other way therefore appearance does not matter . The image is really simple yet full of in depth clues. Shay’s shoes seem worn out and old which shows again that she does not care about her appearance and doesn’t take what other people think of her personally.  Depending on her shirt and hair, Shay seems like a very open and unique girl. From my point of view, Shay still thought of her self as a nice, smart, beautiful girl and taking the operation would just transform her into another boring pretty.  Her self esteem was not lowered because of the pretties and how important they were; in fact,  it was the exact opposite. Shay perceived  herself as an independent unique girl and a free sprit and this is exactly what the girl from the image conveys. 

In my illustration, the idea I try to create is that pretties in the story are controlled by the government. The king on top is the rule maker and he decides what prettiness is, how pretties think, what they do and how they feel with an operation. The marionettes on the bottom or the so called pretties have lost their independence and their identity.  In the puppet theater such dolls called marionettes  are controlled by a master's hands who pulls strings and directs all movements of the dolls. This is a great analogy towards the pretty society of the book since the citizens have lost all thoughts and are transformed to become the same by the government.

The drawing helps the reader uncover the secret of the pretty society near the end of the book. Such order in the pretty world is never discovered by some people since they are mostly brainwashed and made happy.  The portrayal of humanity is a prime example of dystopia and inequality since all the citizens are controlled by a hierarchy. Freedom is lacking from such social order and no one has an opinion.

  All in all, this representation is a major concept in the pretty world of "Uglies". Even though all pretties seem happy they truly do not understand what is happening to them.  And at first glance this world seems happy and peaceful (people having fun, parties, games) , but the social injustice is that they have no choices and they are forced to live in this way. 

A Dystopian Society

Dystopia- n

-An imaginary place where everything is as bad as it can be

   Imagine a society all full of beautiful people. OK, this sounds good, but if you think deeply this is “an imaginary place” where something smells fishy and kind of meaningless. Even though in a society of only pretty individuals people may not be labeled by their appearances, they definitely look the same and have lost their individuality. Such a society has put a message in people’s brain that pretty is something like this

                                     

                                                                            Or

When in fact everyone should feel pretty the way they are.  It is what makes you special and that is the message that society must convey.

    In the world created in Uglies everyone is the same. People have the same features, attitude, face, body. It is the default pretty. That’s what makes the society so corrupt and dystopian. No one is special or unique! It is as if clones who are all “pretty” (to someone) are making up the society. Imaging you see yourself throughout the appearance of the other person. What is the ” person” then. Is there a “personality” at all? Such a society is made of a  crowd , but not individuals.  The author is trying to stress the fact that your goal and purpose in life should not be to impress or look nice to everybody around you. You are who you are and that should never change.
    Sometimes people whose appearance is more “attractive” seem special and better than you, but they are not. What matters is who the person is. Personality and attitude should be much more important than appearance; however, in the modern day society these traits are usually forgotten. To illustrate, after seven years of research, psychologist Thomas Cash says he has learned something : "There's more to the subject of beauty than meets the eye."  He quickly adds that "Beautiful people are perceived as sexier, smarter, happier, more employable and more mentally stable. Being unattractive can place a person in social and economic jeopardy." People are divided and discriminated by something they have no control over.  Why are pretty people treated differently than ugly people?
   The uglies in the book have it built in their minds and they know that they are not pretty. They have flaws and something with them is not right. For example, Tally’s nickname is Squint because of her small closed eyes.  Shay's nickname was Skinny because of her weight. These features which the uglies have are supposed to make them feel bad about themselves when looking up to the pretties. The self esteem of uglies drops and they want to become more and more pretty.  The author is trying to tell the reader that appearance is the only thing that matters in the dystopian society. People depend on it for their reputation.  If you are not pretty, you are different and not welcome.
    Prettiness means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but in the society every person is brainwashed to believe the same thing. These are the problems in the society: the lack of independent thinking and opinions, the lack of  differences of the perception of beauty,the lack of varieties of aesthetic values, and most importantly, the lack of creativity and imagination; in other words, the lack of all that make life interesting and meaningful.  The author showed a stunning evolution of today’s society if image and appearance continue to over power attitude and personality. Teens today want to impress friends or the opposite sex by wearing flashy clothes (often the same brands), putting on makeup and sacrificing their natural look. Some even go further by thinking about plastic surgeries,  but pretty should not be the same for everyone.

   I believe that is the major message from Scott Westerfeld and by showing what the world may become when pretty is the same for everyone, really proves that the society today must quickly find way to transform the urge for physical beauty into an urge for independent thinking, personal values and pride of who you are.

    Another negative characteristic of the society that the author creates is how people  easily betray friends and other people’s trust. In the book, on the day of her operation Tally has to betray and give her friend up in order to proceed with becoming pretty. This is very unfair because you cannot take away from a person for another person’s wrong doing.  This is rotten and is a major injustice. Also, in the end of the book David’s father is killed by the special circumstance which is completely absurd.

     Overall, the author did a great job in showing what our society today might become if these  issues and injustices keep on growing.  It was a truly creative work and interesting to read as well. Hopefully, more people, especially young teens, read this book to know that you are who you are and changing to be someone else is wrong and leads to catastrophe.

Book Review

In the world today people are forced to believe that appearance is the most valuable asset a being must have. Pretty, ugly, skinny, short, tall - these are the characteristics that define a person in the modern world society. Personality and traits are forgotten. Who you are doesn’t really matter anymore as long as you are beautiful.  If such brainwash continues what will the world/society be like in the future? Will everybody be the same? Will everyone think the same and desire the same things. Will no one have a personality?  

These questions come to mind while reading the bestseller “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies is a story written in the future where the world as we know today has been abandoned due to lack of oil. A new world has been formed where all that matters is your appearance. One town is divided into a pretty side and an ugly side. Every being starts their life in the ugly part of town and when 16 years pass an operation transforms them into pretties. They then move to the pretty part of town and are told to have fun.  The civilization has completely failed and appearance is all that matters.

The story starts off with a 15 year old Tally who is anxiously waiting for her operation in 3 months to become pretty.  Her best friend Peris has already turned pretty and moved out of town. One night Tally sneaks off into pretty town to find her friend. After meeting Peris, and finding that he does not want to see her until she turns sixteen and is made pretty, she escapes with the help of another ugly, called Shay.  The two girls discover that they share a birthday; Tally and Shay become close friends. Shay teaches Tally to hoverboard, and takes her out of the city to the nearby Rusty Ruins. Gradually, Tally realizes that Shay does not want to become a pretty which leads to her running away from the city to the Smoke right before her birthday, leaving Tally a secret note of instructions on how to follow her.  Even though Tally is disappointed in Shay’s disappearance she still decides on having the operation. On the day of, she is sent to a special office that belongs to a Dr. Cable, head of Special Circumstances. They inform Tally that she will not be allowed to become pretty unless she follows after Shay and brings her in for the operation. Tally agrees and sets of to a journey into the wild. After many days of travelling, during which Tally faces several life-threatening situations, she makes it to the Smoke. There she is terrified at first of the way of life but soon realizes that freedom is much rewarding and valuable than image.  She refuses to turn on the beacon Dr. Cable gave her, but she still keeps it with her. Tally soon falls in love with the son of the founders of the Smoke, David.  Meeting David's parents, she learns that a part of the pretty operation creates brain lesions, which force all pretties to be happy and compliant.  This means that people lose their independent thinking and are brainwashed.  Tally was unaware that your attitude and personality also changes when performing the operation.  With all the new changes and information and love for David, Tally decides to destroy the tracking beacon.  The only problem was that accidently Tally turned the beacon on before throwing it. This lead to an attack by the Special Circumstances which take all the uglies back to their cities. Tally only just escapes with David, who was outside the Smoke when the attack began, she makes her way back to the city to save her friends and David's parents. In a brave and dangerous raid on Special Circumstances headquarters, they rescue the Smokies from the city. However, they are horrified to discover that Shay has already been made pretty, and that David's father Az was killed in an experimental procedure to make him forget the lesions. David's mother, Maddy, explains that she has found a cure for the lesions, but refuses to use them on Shay without her consent. Realizing the only possible solution, Tally admits to her betrayal of the Smoke, shocking the other Smokies. She then gives full consent to taking the cure, and surrenders to the city to become pretty.

              In my opinion the author, Scott Westerfeld, really wants to stress the importance of independent thinking and that beauty isn’t everything. In one part of the book Tally says ”There was something magic in their large and perfect eyes, something that made you want to pay attention to whatever they said, to protect them from any danger, to make them happy. They were so…pretty.” In real life why does it matter if you’re pretty or not? Do words that come out of someone pretty’s mouth have more significance than the rest of the people? Why is that? These are the messages that the author was quietly hinting. He was making you infer during the entire book and that’s why Uglies is a great read.  Scott creates a world in which inequality has vanished from society in the form of making everybody look essentially the same. Faces are made symmetrical, features are shrunken or enlarged based on what the brain considers attractive.  And of course, all the science behind these ideas is done by someone else - a government that remains fairly secretive. This brings up another part of the story where Shay tells Tally about how the operation is someone else’s idea of pretty. But people have their own preferences and choices. If something is pretty for one person it may not be for the second person. Everybody has the right to their own opinion.  While reading the story it reminded me of the social injustices in the book “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. He also described dysfunctional societies that have brainwashed the innocent people. In the book, I think, the author exaggerated the prettiness and ugliness to how that person’s thoughts and opinions are important. The government makes you look pretty. Who says it’s pretty? That is why the pretties are also brainwashed and made happy. They have no opinion anymore.  For them pretty is the same for everyone. No differences between preferences.  One of the moral’s I take from this book is to be proud of who you are and accept your uniqueness. People should learn to appreciate their appearance even if they do not like some of their physical characteristics because that’s what makes them special. There is no “perfect” or “ideal” appearance. And as a wise man once said “people should not be perfect, they should be whole “.

Uglies was full of adventure and emotion! The book wasn’t so obvious, but allowed the reader to ask himself questions and to draw his own conclusion.  Westerfeld wrote a great book for young people and it would be good if teenagers read more books like that because it seems to me that our society is on the verge of losing all uniqueness and independent thinking.