Literary Analysis of the Young Adult Novel "Uglies" by Scott Westerfield (Term Paper Sample)

UGLIES – SCOTT WESTERFIELD
(2005)
CANDICE FAYE KRISTEN C. LLESES
The turn of the 21st century has seen a sharp rise in the popularity of YA literature, especially as experienced by the reception of dystopian literature, such as Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series (2008), Veronica Roth’s Divergent series (2011), James Dashner’s The Maze Runner series (2009) and of course, Scott Westerfield’s Uglies series (2005).
Uglies (2005) is the first book in Scott Westerfield’s dystopian science-fiction Uglies series. Uglies has all the major characteristics of a dystopian literature; it is futuristic and filled with technological terms and with characters who undergo certain ideological transformations to ultimately shatter the repressive illusion of a perfect society.
The characters in the novel is divided into four main factions: the Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and the Smokies. Uglies are adolescents under the age of 16. Pretties are those who are over 16 and have been cosmetically enhanced to fit society’s standards of beauty. Specials are a special sector of Pretties and are somehow governing authorities. The first three live within cities, while the latter is a mysterious group composed of city runaways who chose not become pretties.