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 jacket catches Tally just before she hits the ground. She somersaults for a moment and then realizes that she pushed off hard enough to cause herself to bounce in the direction of the gardens. Finally, the jacket sets her down. Tally runs into the garden, ignoring the firefighting hovercars zooming toward Garbo Mansion. She hopes she doesn’t get caught and starts to feel stupid. Tally should’ve realized that Peris wouldn’t have his scar: the operation gives new pretties entirely new skin. Tally wonders if she ruined Peris’s fresh start as well as her own chances at being Peris’s friend once she’s pretty. She vows to follow through on her promise and not get caught.
It’s telling that Tally thinks mostly about how any consequences might affect her after she’s pretty. Tally obviously idealizes pretties in general—her first concern is for Peris, not herself—and doesn’t value her own life and experiences because she’s an ugly. More broadly, this shows that in Tally’s society, pretties receive all the attention and concern. This is why Tally vows to follow through and become a pretty—she wants to join Peris and experience all the opportunities that life as a pretty seemingly offers.
Themes
Tally sees a safety warden. The warden is a handsome middle pretty, and she must be looking for Tally. Tally considers giving herself up to the warden since middle pretties are wise and know what to do, but instead Tally sneaks away through the brush. Near the river, Tally sees a dark form and freezes, thinking it’s a warden. Tally and the figure stand stock still for minutes, and Tally finally decides to give herself up. She apologizes, but the figure isn’t a warden: she’s a young ugly named Shay. Shay explains that she’s been hiding for an hour, waiting to sneak back across the river. Tally explains that there are so many hovercars and wardens because of her antics and tells Shay her story.
The way that Tally describes not just this middle pretty, but all middle pretties, is telling. In Tally’s mind, there isn’t much difference from one middle pretty to the next: they’re all wise and know how to navigate the world. It’s possible that this just reflects Tally’s innocence and naïveté as a 15-year-old, but it could also point to a disturbing degree of conformity among middle pretties.
Themes
Shay bites at one of her fingernails—a habit that the pretty operation cures—and asks if Tally was here to see a friend or a boyfriend. Shay explains that she’s the youngest of her friends and she sneaks over to spy on the new pretties. Tally says that she said hello to a friend but that it didn’t go well. Shay compliments Tally’s trickiness and then asks that Tally let her join next time so that Shay can have fun too. Tally agrees. Shay asks Tally where her hoverboard is. Tally is shocked—all flying things have minders to keep users in bounds, but Shay says she tricked hers. Tally leads Shay to the bridge instead, and assures her that this one won’t tattle.
The beginning of Tally and Shay’s friendship shows that such bonds are based on a mutual desire to act out and have fun—but this particular friendship is also based on the fact that both Tally and Shay have things to teach each other. Having such wildly different skillsets and information will likely allow Tally and Shay to practice the important skill of respecting each other for their differences, not just enjoying what they have in common.
Themes
