Uglies

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Science fiction novels featuring utopian and dystopian societies are often not what they initially seem.

• How does Westerfeld slowly reveal that his utopian world is a dystopia? (topic sentence)
• Give at least 3 examples of foreshadowing that let the reader know Tally lives in a dystopia.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how these details prepare the reader for Maddy and Az’s revelation about the pretty surgery.

2. Tally eventually comes to accept who she is and what she looks like.

• How does Tally feel about herself (both her appearance and emotional state) at the beginning of the novel? (topic sentence)
• Describe at least 3 moments that Tally experiences growth throughout Uglies.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how these moments of growth contribute to Tally’s individuality and her eventual self-acceptance.

3. Although the Rusty society has collapsed, there is still much to learn from them.

• How do the Smoke and the city differ in the way they use information about the Rusties? (topic sentence)
• Describe at least 3 ways in which this futuristic world uses information about the Rusties or their technologies.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, describe what the novel suggests humans can learn from past societies.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Tally is first motivated by Peris, then by Shay, and finally by David. Describe how each of these relationships motivates her in different ways. How does she change within each relationship? How does this connect to the idea of Individuality Versus Community? As you write, incorporate at least 3 pieces of textual evidence to support your claims.

2. Shay is the first person in Tally’s life to express dissatisfaction with the pretty surgery. Later, she and Tally fight over the surgery, and Shay becomes so frightened of it that she flees to the Smoke. How does Shay’s attitude foreshadow her eventual beautification? How does it compare to the way she feels after the surgery? Is it significant that she is the first person from the Smoke to be made pretty? As you write, incorporate at least 3 pieces of textual evidence that support your claims.

3. As a futuristic society, the novel features many technological advancements. How do these advancements influence the plot of the novel? How does the technology of the city compare to the way people live in the Smoke? Is one way of life better than another? As you write, incorporate at least 3 pieces of textual evidence that support your claims.