2007, Form B.
Works of literature often depict acts of betrayal. Friends and even family may
betray a protagonist; main characters may likewise be guilty of treachery or
may betray their own values. Select a novel or play that includes such acts of
betrayal. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the nature of the betrayal and
show how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is a novel set 300 years in the future after the society we know today collapses. A new society forms where kids must undergo an operation to make them pretty at the age of sixteen. It is an operation that biologically enhances the features of these people to meet a certain standard of beautiful. After the operation, the kids are relocated to a new city where they are free to mingle with new pretties just like them. From a young age, these kids are told that they are inadequate until they receive this operation, thus they all dream of being "pretty." Though the majority do undergo the operation and live in the city, a rebel group forms, and plots to overthrow the government that forces the operation upon people. The protagonist, Tally, contemplates joining her suite mates in the pretty city, or following her friend Shay to the rebel group up in the mountains. Unbeknownst to Tally, the government has been trying to locate and exterminate this rebel group for many years now. After discovering that Shay has already started the journey to the mountains, the government jumps on the opportunity to use Tally as a rebel group scout. Although Tally does not want to endanger to friend Shay, the government threatens Tally with never receiving the operation, and having to stay ugly forever. Tally begins her journey to the mountains with a government tracker in hand. Once she makes it to the rebel group, she befriends them, and finds herself unable to turn them over to the government. However, she tosses the tracker into a fire and unintentionally sets off the signal.
Tally only wants to do what is right; the only problem is that she is unsure of who is right. The Uglies society, a new set of morals and standards about society is set; what is considered beautiful? How much power should government have? What is right or wrong? Tally finds herself conflicted between her own morals and the ones society sets for her. Tally has grown up in a world that tries to defy nature that says that it is wrong to appreciate the way you were made, and that nobody is born beautiful. She sees her quest of betrayal as just her duty to her government. Once she meets the members of the rebel group, she sees a new perspective on life, and starts to make her own judgments instead of the ones the government forces onto people. Although Tally's betrayal was not intentional, it was a fight against everything she had ever known. It was only Tally's moral compass that brought her to the conclusion of what is right.
Vivian,
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job explaining the book and Tally's betrayal. Where the prompt says "the nature of betrayal," I took it to mean not so much a summary of the betrayal but rather the motives/conflict behind it, like friend vs. friend, protagonist vs. society, protagonist vs. self, etc. I know you went a little into this, but maybe it could be clearer. You also did a good job explaining Tally's growth in terms of the betrayal, but maybe go into how the betrayal affects the meaning of the work a bit more. Also, I don't know if you saw this, but I think Ms. Holmes posted on the website that we should stop using pop fiction for our blog posts.
The second paragraph of this essay especially is very nice and well written. You included many good analyzations of her goals and the moral questions the government brought up, and you were specific enough that a general lack of quotes (which isn't bad seeing as this is from memory alone) was not harmful.
ReplyDeleteI suggest less summarization in the future- as the prompt asks for only the betrayal, perhaps focus only on that part of the story. That will leave you more space to go into detail about the nature of the betrayal. In addition, it will let you discuss how this betrayal impacts the meaning of the book.
I actually thought your summarizing was good. I haven't read the book, and it helped me to understand your analysis of the betrayal. Good prompt. I've wanted to read these books..sounds good having read your essay! You chose a good example and explained it well
ReplyDeleteBoth last month and this month your peer reviewers suggested that you need less summary and more argument. Next time really work on writing a piece that has clear claims (topic sentences) drawn from the thesis and lots of specific examples (explained by warrants, of course)for each claim.
ReplyDelete