Essay Questions

What is the central theme in the book ‘Pretties (The Uglies)’ by Scott Westerfeld?

The creation of fake human beings and experimental exploitation emerges as the central theme in the entire book. The characters are artificial human beings who are manipulated through experimentation to form various forms of persons. Interestingly, Tally is among the controlled artificial human beings, but she can see the kind of human exploitation taking place. The people in the community are intentionally kept in darkness so that they can easily be manipulated. Civilization is not welcome because people will start questions the intentions of human experimentation and manipulation in society. Ironically, the people within this community are made to believe that artificially modified people with particular levels of beauties represent gods, which is far away from the truth.

What is the emblematic connotation of the pretty dialect practiced by pretties?

Interestingly, pretties communicate using a unique dialect that is not practiced by the rest of the community. The unique dialect used by the pretties symbolizes the mental modification that people go through during artificial change. Therefore, pretties believe that prettification is a normal process because it comes with a new language. Unfortunately, the entire artificial modification conducted through experimentation is evil to humanity, but it is made to look pretty.

How satirical is Andrew’s presence in the reservation camp?

The reader finds it ironic that Andrew is practicing as a prophet without his consent and willingness. While in the reservation camp, Andrew encounters Tally, one of the pretties believed to be gods. Tally begs Andrew not to view her as a god but a human being. Ironically, Andrew confesses that he knows that pretties are human beings used to blind the society of supernatural beings' existence. Despite knowing that pretties are artificially modified human beings, Andrew fears them because they are powerful.