Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Uglies, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Conformity vs. Individuality
Beauty, Science, and Influence
The Natural World, History, and Growing Up
Friendship and Loyalty
Summary
Analysis
The Specials take Tally to the library, where Dr. Cable greets her with an odd smile. Tally decides to play along and tells Dr. Cable that she tried to run so that the already suspicious Smokies wouldn’t know it was her. Dr. Cable leans back and asks how long Tally has been here. Tally coughs, trying to buy herself time, and says that she hasn’t been in the Smoke long. The Smokies suspect her because it took her so long, and she almost fell off a cliff. Dr. Cable says that if the pendant was damaged, it would’ve alerted Special Circumstances automatically. She asks where the pendant is. Tally lies that she hid it after she activated it, since the Smokies are able to detect bugs. Dr. Cable asks a Special to accompany Tally to fetch the pendant. They cuff Tally so she looks like a resistor.
By lying to Dr. Cable, Tally can begin to atone for her misdeed and try to protect her new friends in the Smoke. Her choice to lie makes it clear that Tally is fully committed to working for the Smoke, as she’s come around entirely to their way of thinking. Dr. Cable, unlike Tally, is at a bit of a disadvantage out here in a more naturalistic setting. She doesn’t have the tools she had in her office in the city to detect Tally’s lies, which means that Tally has more wiggle room to manipulate Dr. Cable. Relying too heavily on the city, in other words, has made it harder for Dr. Cable to function in other environments.
Themes
Tally leads the Special toward the trading post. She tells him the necklace is on the roof, and the Special swings up easily. When he can’t find it, Tally tells him where it is using made-up roof parts and she offers to show the confused Special where it is. He pulls her up and warns her to leave the hoverboards alone. Tally sees that hers is far away—but Croy’s is close, charged, and mostly ready to go. She exaggerates how hard it is to balance handcuffed and then allows herself to slip. The Special rescues Tally, letting himself fall to save her. While he’s on the ground, Tally kicks Croy’s board closed. After the Special gets back on the roof, Tally wobbles again. When the Special cuts her handcuffs, Tally snaps her fingers. The hoverboard comes to her, knocking the Special off the roof, and Tally zooms away.
Tally recognizes that even out in the natural world, the Specials function a lot like the city does—they’re able to step in and lessen the consequences of mistakes like falling off of the roof. That Tally is able to manipulate this shows that she’s becoming more comfortable in a variety of different environments. She’s learning to use the unique qualities of each setting to her advantage, which speaks to her newfound maturity.
Themes
