Uglies Westerfeld Analysis

The novel ‘Uglies’ by Scott Westerfeld warns of the dangers of conformity. The opening epigraph “is it not good to make a society full of beautiful people” is used to question the theme of ‘Uglies’ which is, what society would look like if everything and everyone was the same. The novel depicts a world where a single standardised idea of beauty exists in order to make everyone equal. By undergoing a surgical operation at the age of sixteen, everyone is turned ‘pretty’. Westerfeld explores the dangers of conformity by warning readers of the consequences of complete uniformity of ideas and values, in the natural environment and with physical appearance.
Firstly, Westerfeld cautions against having conformity amongst ideas and values. The risks …show more content…
Conformity in nature, also known as monoculture, is rather dangerous because too much of a single species can disturb the delicate balance that is necessary for any biological system to thrive. In the novel, an example of monoculture are the white tiger orchids found everywhere outside of the manufactured cities that house the common population. When the protagonist, Tally, describes them “the orchids were spreading across the plain below, choking the life out of other plants, out of the soil itself, selfish and unstoppable”, the destruction they have caused as a result of their large numbers becomes apparent. The rest of the environment around them is threatened because they crowd out the other species, there is no space for anything else to grow. The workers trying to contain the growth of the orchids explain to Tally that “after enough orchids build up in an area there aren’t enough hummingbirds to pollinate them”, suggesting that if everything is the same in nature, the individual benefits each component of nature brings are destroyed and the whole system cannot function. The monoculture of orchids displaying the disastrous outcome of having an excess of a single species warns of the dangers of conformity in the natural …show more content…
A healthy outlook on physical appearance is a crucial part of a healthy mind because it not affects your point of view on your appearance but also your identity. ‘Uglies’ illustrates a society that has a fixed mindset on a single idea of what beauty looks like. In fact, it is decided by the government and is designed to make everyone equal. However, the harm these standards have done is far greater than the good. This begins with the name given to people who have not had the operation, ‘uglies’. The uglies are constantly calling each other names, pinpointing flaws in their physical appearance and features such as ‘squint’, ‘skinny’ and ‘nose’. It is normal and acceptable to make fun of each other and yourself. Uglies are always talking about the imperfections in their appearance and their lives revolve around longing to turn ‘pretty’. Westerfeld shows that “in a world of extreme beauty, anyone normal is ugly” through the way that uglies treat themselves and refer to themselves, a result of their knowledge of the existence of ‘pretties’. The way Tally talks about becoming ‘pretty’, “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”, uncovers the true extent of the detrimental effect of having conformity within physical

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