Uglies- What does the work tell us about how the society affects the individual?

     In the world of Uglies, at the age of 16 everyone undergoes a procedure that makes them "Pretty".  Bones are stretched or shaved, skin is made completely smooth and tan, and everything about them is made pretty- except the brain. It has been reprogrammed to not be aware about the faults in society. Tally Youngblood's best friend, Shay, decides to leave the city behind and not have her operation. Tally, the main character, is then faced by Special Circumstances to find Shay or not become pretty at all.

     The Pretties in this society are unaware of everything that is going on. Instead, they party 24/7 and joke around. Uglies have a realization of the world, but once they start questioning what is happening, they are swooped up by the operation and completely forget what they are thinking.

    I personally like to think that there are two types of people in this society- a) the ones who question the society and do not want to become a Pretty and b) most of the people in the book, who want to become pretty and never question anything.

     Shay questions everything, and then later teaches Tally to do the same. Shay then escapes to a city called the Smoke, which is full of Uglies who live together away from the government. These people make their own decisions, and are free to live a life without being restrained by the government. Like Fahrenheit 451,  the peace and quiet of nature allows them to think for themselves.

     From the article, How Does Society Affect Behavior in Teens?, (http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/society-affect-behavior-teens-4728.html), people, such as teens, are highly influenced by their society and surroundings. Uglies may be a different society than ours today, but the same thing still applies. When the Uglies grow up in Uglyville, they are constantly influenced that what is going on is right. However, once Tally escapes to the Smoke and is influenced by another society, she now finds how much different everything really is.