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
Tally is so exhausted that the cruel pretties look even stranger. She tries to forget why she’s at Special Circumstances and notes that Dr. Cable looks alert and refreshed. Dr. Cable asks if Tally is going to answer their questions honestly now, and Tally snorts that she has no choice. With a smile, Dr. Cable says they always have choices and then begins her questioning. Tally tells Dr. Cable that Shay talked about running away with David, a person Dr. Cable has heard about. Tally mentions the Smoke and pulls out Shay’s cryptic directions; instead of looking at them, Dr. Cable pulls out a digital copy she made during Tally’s last visit. Tally glares at Dr. Cable and spits that she doesn’t know anything. Tally just wants to be pretty and vows to herself not to cry.
Again, Tally’s belief that she doesn’t have a choice is a product of her society. She’s been raised to think that going against the status quo is impossible. Because of this, Dr. Cable’s insistence that they do have choices stands out. This suggests that as a member of Special Circumstances, Dr. Cable may have more choices than Tally does and possibly even more choices than other pretties do. She may also recognize that if uglies like Tally ask questions, they’ll discover that they, too, have lots of choices. This is supported by Shay’s actions, as she made a choice that Tally didn’t think was possible.
Themes
Dr. Cable says that Special Circumstances doesn’t understand the note. Her eyes narrow when Tally says she doesn’t get it either, and Dr. Cable pulls out a small briefcase filled with survival items like what Shay had. Tally says that Shay also had a hoverboard and enough dehydrated food to feed two people for two weeks. Dr. Cable grouses that all “miscreants” have hoverboards. She begins to pack a knapsack and tells Tally that Tally will be going to the Smoke, since she’s the one who can follow the directions. Dr. Cable says that they’ve seen all of this before and they haven’t been able to find the Smoke, but Tally should be able to do it.
Dr. Cable’s annoyance with hoverboards and the people who use them reinforces the symbolism of the boards. The people who have hoverboards are independent and free thinkers, and therefore, they’re not the kind of people who fall easily into line and accept whatever the government tells them as fact. Tally doesn’t necessarily want to be one of these free thinkers, but it’s telling that she’s learning to hoverboard. This suggests that curiosity is something anyone can learn.
Themes
Dr. Cable pulls out a heart pendant as Tally holds back tears. Dr. Cable opens the pendant and shows Tally that it’s an eye scanner: it will alert Special Circumstances to Tally’s whereabouts and allow them to raid the Smoke. Tally wonders how many uglies they’ve tried to get to spy for them and insists she can’t do this, not least because she’s never spent a night outside the city. She begins to sob as Dr. Cable says that they’ll find someone else if Tally won’t do it—then, Tally will be ugly forever. Tally insists she needs to think, but Dr. Cable says that Tally must go now and say she left before her birthday. She calls an image of Tally’s puffy face onto her wallscreen and when she says Tally will look like this forever, Tally agrees to cooperate.
Wondering how many others Special Circumstances has tried to blackmail shows that Tally is starting to understand how unimportant she is as an individual. Dr. Cable probably doesn’t care whether Tally ever becomes pretty or not—even if Tally won’t help her, she will, at some point, come across another tricky ugly who’s desperate enough to comply. The way that Dr. Cable coerces Tally into cooperating illustrates the success of the government’s messaging—it’s wildly uncomfortable for Tally to accept that sometimes it’s normal for people to look sad.
Themes
