Scott Westerfeld`s trilogy Uglies – Pretties – Specials tells us about the 15-year-old girl Tally who lives in a society whose citizens (have to) undergo an operation in order to be made pretty as soon as they get 16 years old. The books could easily be taken for prominently criticizing callomania, i.e. the excessive love of and craving for beauty and the respective extreme efforts people make to appear beautiful and thus correspond to a certain ideal. It is widely acknowledged that Western countries have developed into societies whose citizens spend remarkable amounts of time and money in the “improvement” or “maintenance” of their fitness and body appearance. Since the 1980s, an increasing number of so-called body image disorders is reported. More and more and even younger people suffer from a systematic depreciation of their bodies as they compare them to ideal and imaginative body images (Menninghaus, Winfried: Das Versprechen der Schönheit. Frankfurt a. Main: Suhrkamp, 2007: 250-251). It therefore seems a first and logical approach to see Westerfeld`s books as a major criticism of today`s (Western)societies and media which make people perceive their bodies as negative and inferior. As they are considered to be dystopian fictions, we anticipate Westerfeld`s novels to carry a warning reference to the reader`s present society. In this sense, Westerfeld`s books offer a most sinister view on how far we could get if we are advancing technologies like aesthetic surgery and genetic engineering without reconsidering how, why and to what extent we use them. We assume this critical warning to be embodied in the protagonist Tally who tries to succeed in disengaging from the ideology indoctrinated by her city.
This paper wants to “track” the critical approaches we find in the novels and examine whether the narrations really live up to the criticism apparently promised. It will look at the concepts of beauty the protagonist Tally is confronted with and refer to current scientific and popular discourses
about these respective concepts. Finally, a connection shall be drawn between the issues raised in the novels and the genre chosen to work on them. Why are “beauty” and “body” relevant topics to be treated in Young Adult fiction? And how does the genre Young Adult literature change the portrayal and reception of the issues? Questions like these shall be dealt with in order to review the books` message in the context of their intended readership.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Beauty in the city...
- 2.1. Why Tally wants to be pretty.
- 2.1.1. Social stability and equality through uniform prettiness
- 2.1.2. Survival of the prettiest: Social Darwinist ideas
- 2.2. Beauty politics – The operation
- 3. Natural Beauty - Tally and the Smokies
- 4. More than pretty - Being special
- 5. Be yourself! – The role of the body for adolescent independence
- 5.1. Pretty happy – The promise of being beautiful
- 5.2. Ugly adolescence – The teenager as inferior
- 6. Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper analyzes Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy, examining its critical approach to modern beauty politics within the context of young adult fiction. The main objective is to explore how the novels utilize the concept of a dystopian society to comment on contemporary societal pressures related to beauty and body image. The analysis will investigate whether the narrative successfully conveys its intended criticism and how the chosen genre impacts the portrayal and reception of these issues.
- The societal pressure to conform to a specific beauty standard.
- The impact of this pressure on individual autonomy and self-perception.
- The critique of advanced technologies like aesthetic surgery and genetic engineering.
- The role of social Darwinism in shaping beauty ideals.
- The relevance of beauty and body image as themes in young adult literature.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy and its central theme: the critique of our society's obsession with beauty. It establishes the context by referencing existing scholarly work on callomania and body image disorders, highlighting the growing concern over the societal pressure to achieve an idealized physical appearance. The chapter also introduces the protagonist, Tally, and her journey through a society that mandates a mandatory beauty operation at age sixteen, emphasizing the potential loss of individual autonomy in the pursuit of beauty. The author frames the novel as a warning against unchecked technological advancements in beauty enhancement and the potential for societal control through manipulation of beauty standards.
2. Beauty in the city: This chapter delves into the specifics of Tally's dystopian society. It examines the reasons why Tally and other “uglies” aspire to become “pretties,” focusing on the societal arguments of equality and social stability through uniform beauty. The chapter critically analyzes the claim that eliminating physical differences through the operation leads to equality, arguing that this viewpoint ignores other potential avenues for social inequality and the suppression of individuality. The chapter also touches upon the concept of “survival of the prettiest,” connecting the societal pursuit of beauty to Social Darwinist ideas inherent in the human brain's predispositions toward certain aesthetic preferences, exploring the implications of this biological basis for societal judgments of beauty.
Keywords
Dystopian fiction, young adult literature, beauty politics, body image, social Darwinism, aesthetic surgery, genetic engineering, societal pressure, conformity, individual autonomy, callomania, Uglies trilogy.
Frequently Asked Questions: Uglies Trilogy Analysis
What is this document about?
This document provides a comprehensive preview of an academic analysis of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy. It includes a table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords. The analysis focuses on the trilogy's critique of modern beauty politics and its exploration of societal pressures related to beauty and body image within a dystopian setting.
What are the main themes explored in the Uglies trilogy analysis?
The analysis explores several key themes, including the societal pressure to conform to specific beauty standards, the impact of this pressure on individual autonomy and self-perception, the critique of advanced technologies like aesthetic surgery and genetic engineering, the role of Social Darwinism in shaping beauty ideals, and the relevance of beauty and body image as themes in young adult literature.
What is the objective of this analysis?
The main objective is to examine how the Uglies trilogy uses a dystopian society to comment on contemporary societal pressures related to beauty and body image. It investigates whether the narrative successfully conveys its intended criticism and how the chosen genre impacts the portrayal and reception of these issues.
What are the chapter summaries included in the document?
The document provides summaries for each chapter. The introduction sets the context and introduces the protagonist, Tally. Chapter 2 delves into the dystopian society's beauty standards and explores the connection between beauty and social stability, touching upon Social Darwinism. Further chapters explore themes of natural beauty, individuality, and the role of the body in adolescent independence.
What are the key concepts and terms discussed in the analysis?
Key terms and concepts include dystopian fiction, young adult literature, beauty politics, body image, social Darwinism, aesthetic surgery, genetic engineering, societal pressure, conformity, individual autonomy, and callomania.
What is the target audience of this analysis?
This analysis is intended for academic use, focusing on a structured and professional examination of the themes within Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy.
What kind of information does the Table of Contents provide?
The table of contents offers a detailed overview of the structure of the analysis, outlining the introduction, key chapters analyzing beauty politics and societal pressures, the role of individual autonomy, and a concluding chapter. It provides subheadings detailing specific aspects within each chapter.
How does this analysis approach the topic of beauty politics?
The analysis critically examines the societal pressures to conform to a specific beauty standard and explores the consequences of these pressures on individual autonomy and self-perception within the fictional dystopian society of the Uglies trilogy. It also analyzes the role of technology in shaping and enforcing these beauty standards.
- Quote paper
- Thérèse Remus (Author), 2013, Pretties with Ugly Thoughts, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/233043
