Uglies

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Uglies Discussion Questions
Here are ten questions that I wrote to generate discussions about my book [|//Uglies//]. Feel free to copy, adapt, distribute, and otherwise use these questions in any way you desire. (But it would be polite if you gave me credit.) 1. Have you ever had a friend like Peris, who abandoned your friendship after they moved away? 2. At first, did you hope Tally would get the operation? When did you change your mind? (Or did you?) 3. Have you ever found yourself trusting someone more or paying more attention to what they said not because they deserved it, but just because of their looks? 4. In what ways did Tally’s trip through the wild prepare her for what she learned in the Smoke? 5. Would you give up your ability to think independently in exchange for being happy, beautiful, perpetually healthy, and rich? 6. How did David see Tally differently than she saw herself? 7. If Shay could have gone back in time and never have met Tally, do you think she would? 8. Other than the pretty operation, what are the main differences between the pretty society and our own? (Are there any ways in which the pretty society is healthier than ours?) 9. To what extent did Tally decide her own fate, and how much did other people decide it for her? 10. The Rusty civilization collapsed because of its dependence on oil. In what ways is your lifestyle dependent on oil and gasoline? How easily would you survive if it all disappeared one day?

Shay gave Tally complex coded directions to The Smoke that she knew only Tally would understand. She used phrases like: "Take the coaster straight past the gap…" and "4 days later take the side you despise". Take 10 minutes and create coded directions from the library to your home. You can make it difficult—something only a friend or family member would understand—or more simple—something anyone could decipher. Write down your message on the index card and be prepared to share it with the group. What coded phrases can you come up with for terms like "turn right" or "cross the street" or "go east", etc.? Are there any landmarks, buildings, sights or sounds you could include that might help someone find their way to your home?

Opposites Attract: have every one write down 5 words on 5 small pieces of paper -- all adjectives. Shuffle them all together and deal five out to each person. The person to the left of the dealer is the first judge. The judge puts one paper in the center of the table and reads it aloud. Now each player puts in //the one //of their five words that they think is most opposite of the judge's word. The judge chooses a winner and a point is awarded. The person to the left of the judge is the new judge and so on, until all words are used.

The futuristic society in //Uglies //places extreme importance on physical beauty. Do you think that our society places too much emphasis on physical beauty? In what ways do you think our society makes us feel we are ugly? What are some extremes that people go to in order to look "pretty"? Have you ever felt discriminated against because of how you look?

Tally is faced with a difficult decision: betray her close friend or stay "ugly" forever. What would you do in Tally’s situation? Imagine that you grew up in the same society. How hard would it be to leave and never have the operation? •We are part of "The Rusties" society that seems so outdated and wasteful to Tally and Shay. What are some aspects of our modern society that might be baffling to future generations? Are there things we depend on that might not be necessary in the future? •How do you think "The Rusties’" society ended? Are there clues about the demise of these people in the book? •The ending of //Uglies //leads right into the upcoming sequel

•Why do you think the Smokies kept the Smoke so secret? Why didn't they make themselves more visible until the end? Do you think that helped or hurt them? •Which do you think was harder for David to handle -- the end of the Smoke, the death of his father, or Tally's betrayal? Why? •Most of the names seem to be either a misspelling or a shortened form of a name we might use today. David and Dr. Cable are the only ones who have a "whole" name. Why do you think their names are different? What would your pretty name be?