" 'But it's a trick, Tally. You've only seen pretty faces your whole life. Your parents, your teachers, everyone over sixteen. But you weren't born expecting that kind of beauty in everyone, all the time. You just got programmed into thinking anything else is ugly.'
'It's not programming, it's just a natural reaction. And more important that that, it's fair. In the old days it was all random - some people kind of pretty, most people ugly all their lives. Now everyone's ugly...until they're pretty. No losers.' "
Pg 131
Reaction: I think it's interesting how topic of human competition comes up again. Tally says that there are 'no losers' since 'everyone's ugly until they're pretty'. I think the thought of making society happy by having no one be better than anyone else is one of the major reoccurring themes in dystopian literature. This makes me stop and think if we really do have a problem with society today with people not being happy based on the differences of others around them. Is all of us becoming grey blobs really the only way to settle our differences in order for us all to be happy with one another?
Analysis: I think the author in a way is trying to show that society brought this on themselves much like Ray Bradbury did. Shay describes how people in the world state are almost conditioned to whats pretty and whats ugly. This shows that individual thought on beauty is completely out the window since everyone is born into 'this is what is pretty and everything else is ugly'. The 'no losers' line that the author decides to use really shows how it was society's own unhappiness with the differences in appearances that brought on a world state where everyone is pretty so therefor everybody wins. The world can only look up at the lucky few for so long before they decide to do something about it.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Uglies #2
" 'What do you mean? Outside the city completely?'
'Yeah'
'That's crazy. There's nothing out there.'
'There's plenty out there. Real trees, hundreds of years old. Mountains. And the ruins. Ever been there?' "
Pg 71
Reaction: It's kind of interesting how many similarities dystopian novels have. When first reading Fahrenheit 451 all I could think about was how many thing reminded me of Brave New World. Now, reading this book I find myself making connections to Fahrenheit 451 instead. Shay's connection to nature reminds me of Clarrise's connection to nature. The same way that Clarrise placed great importance in observing the little things out in nature and tried to get Montag to notice these things, Shay also seems to be getting Tally to appreciate nature the way she does. I feel like nature is repetitively used in dystopian novels as a symbol to the 'real world' in contrast to the highly technological and brain-washing characteristics of the world state.
Analysis: This passage shows an element of a dystopian society - the outside or natural world is banished or discouraged. Tally knows nothing outside of the city, and is shocked and confused when Shay asks her to come out into the wilderness with her. You can see that the normal person in this world state would place no importance in nature since Tally describes it as being 'nothing out there.' But Tally once again shows her dystopian protagonists characteristics by going against the norm in society and describing whats beyond the city as 'Real trees...Mountains. And the ruins.' Shay's connection with nature gives her a deeper connection with life and a better sense of living than she would get if she spent her time constantly anticipating the day that she'll finally become 'pretty' like Tally usually does. We can see that Shay is slowly trying to bring her friend from out from the brain-wash that society has put on Tally in order for her to appreciate other things other than just being 'pretty' or 'ugly'.
'Yeah'
'That's crazy. There's nothing out there.'
'There's plenty out there. Real trees, hundreds of years old. Mountains. And the ruins. Ever been there?' "
Pg 71
Reaction: It's kind of interesting how many similarities dystopian novels have. When first reading Fahrenheit 451 all I could think about was how many thing reminded me of Brave New World. Now, reading this book I find myself making connections to Fahrenheit 451 instead. Shay's connection to nature reminds me of Clarrise's connection to nature. The same way that Clarrise placed great importance in observing the little things out in nature and tried to get Montag to notice these things, Shay also seems to be getting Tally to appreciate nature the way she does. I feel like nature is repetitively used in dystopian novels as a symbol to the 'real world' in contrast to the highly technological and brain-washing characteristics of the world state.
Analysis: This passage shows an element of a dystopian society - the outside or natural world is banished or discouraged. Tally knows nothing outside of the city, and is shocked and confused when Shay asks her to come out into the wilderness with her. You can see that the normal person in this world state would place no importance in nature since Tally describes it as being 'nothing out there.' But Tally once again shows her dystopian protagonists characteristics by going against the norm in society and describing whats beyond the city as 'Real trees...Mountains. And the ruins.' Shay's connection with nature gives her a deeper connection with life and a better sense of living than she would get if she spent her time constantly anticipating the day that she'll finally become 'pretty' like Tally usually does. We can see that Shay is slowly trying to bring her friend from out from the brain-wash that society has put on Tally in order for her to appreciate other things other than just being 'pretty' or 'ugly'.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
The Uglies #1
" Shay scowled. 'Why, can't you stand me? Do you need to get some picture into your head so you can imagine it instead of my face?'
'Shay! Come on. It's just for fun.'
'Making ourselves feel ugly is not fun.'
'We are ugly!'
'This whole game is just designed to make us hate ourselves.' "
Pg 65
Reaction: I thought this part was interesting because it shows the beginning of a dystopian protagonist. Shay is totally not into everything this society does while Tally is totally turned off by ugliness and can't wait to turn 'pretty'. I think the point the Shay brings up is really important - the fact that they condition people to hate themselves. I couldn't really understand at first how a society full of 'pretty' people would make a difference if everyone looked the same but the fact that they make people go through this ugly phase before turning 'pretty' shows how they control people in this society. I predict some conflicts between these 2 if they have such completely different opinions on something that's so important in this society.
Analysis: Shay talks about a main idea and important detail to know about this society. They essentially 'design people to hate themselves' so that they're completely against being ugly and look forward to turning 'pretty' at the age of 16 their whole life up until then. This society wouldn't work out if everyone was just born pretty because no would know life any other way. The fact that they condition people to hate being ugly for 16 years creates their mindset for only caring about pretty and completely hating themselves and anyone else when they're ugly. This part of the book also shows the differences between these 2 friends who share a birthday and should eventually 'turn pretty' together but might end up being teared apart due to the differences of their views in 'turning pretty'.
'Shay! Come on. It's just for fun.'
'Making ourselves feel ugly is not fun.'
'We are ugly!'
'This whole game is just designed to make us hate ourselves.' "
Pg 65
Reaction: I thought this part was interesting because it shows the beginning of a dystopian protagonist. Shay is totally not into everything this society does while Tally is totally turned off by ugliness and can't wait to turn 'pretty'. I think the point the Shay brings up is really important - the fact that they condition people to hate themselves. I couldn't really understand at first how a society full of 'pretty' people would make a difference if everyone looked the same but the fact that they make people go through this ugly phase before turning 'pretty' shows how they control people in this society. I predict some conflicts between these 2 if they have such completely different opinions on something that's so important in this society.
Analysis: Shay talks about a main idea and important detail to know about this society. They essentially 'design people to hate themselves' so that they're completely against being ugly and look forward to turning 'pretty' at the age of 16 their whole life up until then. This society wouldn't work out if everyone was just born pretty because no would know life any other way. The fact that they condition people to hate being ugly for 16 years creates their mindset for only caring about pretty and completely hating themselves and anyone else when they're ugly. This part of the book also shows the differences between these 2 friends who share a birthday and should eventually 'turn pretty' together but might end up being teared apart due to the differences of their views in 'turning pretty'.
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