So, over christmas break I read a book titled, The Uglies. It was basically about a Utopian society that gave everyone an operation at the age of 16 that made them beautiful. "Big eyes, full lips, no one fat or skinny."
The story is about a girl about to turn sixteen, the age everyone recieves their operation, who decides to run away to join other rebels who have decided to remain, "ugly" and keep their own faces.
The book touches on a lot of todays issues, such as dependancy on oil, plastic surgerys, and also many issues we deal with as a teenagers.
However The Uglies Author, Scott Westerfeld said in an interview:
Uglies isn't about dire warnings, it's about thinking things through. The more we think about this stuff, the better our choices will be. But here's my cautionary tale: I have a gorgeous friend who has a really big nose. When she was sixteen, she desperately wanted surgery to make her look more like everybody else. Fortunately she kept her own face. Because these days everyone agrees that though she'd be cute with a cute little nose, she is totally striking and sexy now because of her fabulous schnoz. Don't forget, a few decades ago girls who were "too tall" were given drugs to slow their growth. Now it rocks to be tall. My main advice is: stick to make-up, clothes, hair dye, and minor piercings when you're young. Everything else is way too permanent.
So, I was wondering if anyone else had read it and what they thought?
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Utopianism
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3 comments:
I haven't read it, but it's now on my to-do list. I think I'd jump at the chance to become beautiful but I'm sure that's because I'm a short-sighted teenager who isn't thinking through all the implications of such a thing...
All I know is that everyone is unique and who one person might find ugly is beautiful in the eyes of another.
I know how your feel! At the beginning of the book I was thinking, "I would totally love to live there! I would love not worrying what I look like!" And when the main character runs away, It really made me mad!" It shocked me, because I figured out all the symbolism and I knew that It was wrong to live like that, but really gave into my shallow side! Anyway, I can bring a copy to school if you really want to read it. This book definitely challenges emotions and opinions!
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