A change of topic

As a final summary to my previous three blogs, I want to use this fourth journal to express my love for individuality. Like Tally and Shay, there's no better feeling than being yourself and loving who you are. In addition, I love the idea of not giving in to conformity of society. Stick it to the man! No one owns us or who we are as individuals. Therefore, I believe that doing what you want is freedom, and loving what you do is happiness. America is known for their virtue of freedom. So why not live up to that idea and live life to its fullest while we still can?

Shay

In my reading today I have met a new character named Shay. She and Tally have become friends through their curiosity of the people who live in pretty town. Shay and Tally go on adventures together using their levitating hoverboards. I really enjoy Shay because I think that she, too, is a model of individuality. When Tally begins to give in to conformity, Shay talks some sense into her. Tally begins day dreaming about what she will look like after her transformation into a "pretty", and Shay shows no interest. I admire Shay because of her idea that we can't all look and act the same, or else the world will be pretty boring.

Tally

As I have read further into the novel Uglies, I have been able to identify with a few of the characters. I have met the main character, Tally, and I have begun to realize the similarities between her and myself. When I first meet her, I immediately notice her need for rebellion as she is plotting to sneak away from the boarding home in which she is staying. She is planning to visit her best friend who has recently become "pretty" and has moved to a new place that is strictly for "pretties". I enjoy Tally's personality because I admire her need to rebel from the idea of conformity in her world. I can identify with her, in a way, because I also often find myself wanting to go against the social norms I currently live in. The idea of individuality and the need for moderate rebellion in the novel Uglies has me very interested to see how the rest of the novel will unfold!

Uglies

At the beginning of the school year I was asked to use class time to read a book of my choice. I had forgotten to bring a book from home, so I resorted to borrowing one of Ms. Healey's. This book would be a temporary read, I told myself. I would bring in one of my own books from home and everything would be okay. I chose at random and began to read the book Uglies by Scott Westerfield, and I am glad to admit it was a good choice. The opening chapter includes a girl who has waited her whole life to become pretty. In her world, a person turned into a "pretty" once they turned sixteen years old. Up until that point, a person who is under the age of sixteen is seen as an "ugly". This plot is very interesting to me because I believe this is a parallel idea. The younger generation of our society is so pure and not yet exposed to the materialistic things of the real world, such as appearances; but as we get older we begin to experience more of the real world and how false and judgmental society can be.  I am looking forward to reading further into the book and seeing how the characters react once they become "pretty".