The Uglies distopic responce

In the novel The Uglies by Scott Westerfeild, there is many dystopic characteristics that shine through while reading. For example the people that live in ugly ville and pretty ville are not really told about the outside world they are kept sheltered, their society is perceived as perfect and the outside world is known as evil. The major thing i picked up on that i thought was very dystopic, was that they brain wash the young uglies into thinking there disgusting and worthless that everyone of them doesn't seem to question the surgery and is eager to have it happen as quick as possible because they can't stand being ugly and stuck in the wrong world. They are given games to show them how pretty they could be one day and the young uglies don't question what really happens to your brain or personality. "This whole game is just designed to make us hate ourselves". "Tally swallowed, because were so ugly and skinny thats why they hate us". The uglies are basically shunned from their original community called pretty ville and they have to live in dorms with other uglies untill they turn 16. Then they recieve a opperation that transforms them into stunning pretties and they become part of a life of partying and fun, yet none of them know their brains are being transformed and reprogramed to not question and live a life of supream happyness. I belive this is kinda happening in our "north american" society where hollywood is the backbone and the influence of alot of young womens minds, bodies and even actions, everyone wants to be thin and bueatiful and many are obseased with how they look. Its getting to the point in life where there is a line just like in the book; you are either extreamly beutiful or disgustingly ugly. You are treated for how you look and people are starting to ignore how smart you are and your personality just like in the book where all the pretties are the same. Another connection i made was that North America is kind of like pretty ville living in a fantasy world that is based on fun and goodlooking people and everyone wants to be like hollywood and does'nt want to focus on problems of the outside world and everyone whoes not in the north american bubble may seem like a terrorist or perhaps scarey if their not part of the shallow culture of buetiful people that we belong to. The book and our society are very much the same because as big as the choice is to become pretty and live a glamouros life that is shallow and leaves you empty, its harder to stand up for what you belive in a be seen as an outsider and ugly. But eventually everyone will have to choose in the end just like Tally had too.

Twelve Angry Men. The idea of justice.

"You have to lead people gently toward what they already know is right".

-Philip

In the short story/play Twelve angry men by Reginald Rose there is a crime committed that deals with a murder of a middle aged man. The mans son is labeled a suspect and the story follows his trial and the jurors who deal with finding him guilty or not guilty, they are gambling on his life because if the jurors find him guilty he will be sentenced to be executed. This young man is African American and lives on the "bad" side of town and is a categorized as a "troubled young man". People give false testimonies and fake evidence is pointed towards the young man. Justice is the main theme in this short story and it is shown through out the jurors contemplation over the case and how they will find him guilty or not guilty. Justice is shown in this story because the young man is troubled and he is the minority in society at the time, yet all but one of the jurors vote against him. The play goes on to show how this one juror uses evidence and stereo types to show the rest of the racist jurors that this young man was possibly framed just because he was an easy target. In the play they do not actually state that this Young man is African American, but by judging by the context used in the play, i figured he was. which makes this a very controversial play because right away these jurors assume he is guilty just because he is black and in the "wrong side of town" it just goes to show how someones image can persuade people into thinking something in a snap decision. In the end of the play the jurors finally agree they had been to hasty in the way they had first voted and they eventually agree to vote not guilty. This play is a great example of the racism and prejudice in our society and how we are so quick to judge even though we know we are doing the wrong thing, we just need to be constantly reminded of what is right, that is what justice is.