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English 114B
Professor Ahn
May 12
th
, 2014
Is it Our Life or Their Life?
In life, people struggle every day to find their true identity and inner self, while having to
deal with the constant pressures of society as well. Nowadays, these pressures of society make it
a burden for a person to be a leader in their own character than to follow the remaining crowd.
Finding ones identity is a process that changes frequently because people realize new values
about themselves and makes adjustments to better themselves and their lives, day in, and day out.
It is as if everyone wants to be themselves at the end of the day, but want to meet those
expectations held within society also. Finding ones identity is a trial between wanting to be
yourself but exceeding the aspects that society assumes a person to do at the same time. In the
novel Uglies by Scott Westerfield, finding ones identity is an extensive theme because many of
the characters undergo obstacles and hardships that make it uneasy for them to remain to their
personal values. The main character is Tally, and she encounters events that make it problematic
to find her own identity. But by being around positive influencing people, she eventually
identifies the young woman she needs to become. Finding ones identity can be challenging
because society can pressure people to be one way from another, pressure their decision making
in both positive and negative, and have these certain expectations of them that interfere with
ones personal choices and values.
In Uglies, Tally experiences the constant expectations of her society while finding herself
as a person, which makes it problematic because she struggles between living life how she wants
to and how her society expects her to live. In Tallys society, when a person turns the age of
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sixteen, they are expected to endure a surgery that transforms them to pretty from ugly.
Being pretty is expected within this world and difference is not authorized so that is why
everyone has to obtain the surgery. From this surgery, everyone is then similar in looks,
lifestyles, and minds. As of looks, everyone in the world within Uglies, all have the perfect
faces of celebrities. Tally states in the novel, There was a certain beauty, a prettiness that
everyone could see. Big eyes and full lips like a kids; smooth, clear skin, symmetrical features;
and a thousand other little clues. Somewhere in the backs of their minds, people were always
looking for these markers (Westerfield 16). After becoming a pretty, the people experience
identical luxury lifestyles that include partying all night and being clothed in ravishing attire
also. Everyone participates in the same events and actions within New Pretty Town, so they all
live matching lives. Their minds become alike as well because lesions are put inside of their
brains during the surgery to make them think equivalent with no different opinions. Before the
surgery, everyone has their own looks, lives, and identity, then after the surgery, their own
personal identity is completely shattered. From Tallys society executing the surgery, they take
away the uniqueness of everyone and do not enable them to have their own identities since the
people are undifferentiated. They all are expected to be one way, which is pretty, when some of
them actually want to be their own characters, but cannot achieve that since it is considered
wrong.
In our world, there are also expectations for both women and men in society that cause
finding their identity to be a difficulty because they are assumed to act one specific way from
another based on their gender. In the article Gender Roles and Differences from the Boundless
Textbook website, it states that Gender roles are based on norms, or standards, created by
society. In the United States, masculine roles are usually associated with strength, aggression,
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and dominance, while feminine roles are usually associated with passivity, nurturing, and
subordination. This statement from the website demonstrates that females are expected in
society to act in a passionate way, as for the males to act in a more aggressive way, and if they
do not, they are not executing their genders accurately. Also, in the article Gender Role and
Expectations from the website Teen Ink, the author alleges As we grow older, both sexes
endure an incredible amount of pressure from the media to fit into their gender roles. If men
show any feminine traits they are considered weak and are often not taken seriously. This
assertion from Teen Ink reveals that since males are considered to be the dominance gender in
society, they cannot show feminine traits or they will be considered weak or girly. These social
expectations make it troublesome to ones identity because if a man is full of emotions, he
should not have to be called weak. For women however, Rachel Sacks from Miami Student
website states Were expected to maintain perfect and too often unrealistic bodies and
figures... in the article Being a Female in Todays Society Comes with Many Unrealistic
Expectations and Standards. This remark from Sacks releases that women are expected to look
perfect, as how the people in Uglies are expected to be. These unrealistic expectations of
women persuade them into thinking that they are not beautiful and therefore, take extreme
measures to conform to societys view of beauty. William Leith from The Telegraph magazine
adds Women, many of whom wanted their faces to be more beautiful than they were, were
looking at products and procedures that might help. You could have injections of Botox or
fillers; you could have your face heated up or cut apart; you could have fat from your abdomen
injected into your lips in the article The Ugly, Unfair Truth about Looking Beautiful. This
declaration from Leith demonstrates the negative actions that women will undertake in order to
be beautiful and play their gender role in society. These expectations within society hinder both
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women and men to be one way because of their gender and if they do not exceed these
expectations, they are considered to be distinct from the typical male and female. These
expectations make it uneasy for one to find their identity because they are intervening from how
society expects them to be and how they want to be.
With finding ones identity, people can influence ones decision making in both positive
and negative, and however, can make them realize the type of person they are. In Uglies, Tally
meets a friend named Shay, and Shay unlike the rest, does not want to become pretty. Tally, who
desires to be pretty, first thinks that Shay is abnormal because becoming pretty is not a thought
of hers. Tally claims Dont be weird Shay. Im an ugly, youre an ugly. We will be for two
more weeks. Its not big deal or anything (Westerfield 77-78). Eventually from being with each
other most of the time, Tally starts to realize the reasons why Shay does not want to be pretty.
Shay is the character that values her own personality, identity, and does not aspire to be like
every other person in New Pretty Town. Shay affirms in the novel, But its a trick Tally. Youve
only seen pretty faces your whole life. Your parents, your teachers, everyone over sixteen. But
you werent born expecting that kind of beauty in everyone, all the time. You just got
programmed into thinking anything else is ugly (Westerfield 79). Shay also adds Im not afraid
of looking the way I do, Tally (Westerfield 80). From Shay being distinctive and not wanting to
become pretty, it shaped Tallys identity because it was something new to Tally. Shay simply
showed Tally that not being pretty is okay. Shay explains to Tally that she does not have to
conform to what everyone else does and that she can just be herself because she is valuable in
her own way. Shay was the positive influence that made Tally start to realize her true identity
and decisions. Along with Shay, another person that influenced Tallys identity and decisions
positively was David from the Smoke. The Smoke is a rural town filled with individuals that ran
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away because they did not want to obtain the pretty surgery. The Smokies are individuals who
are truly themselves, have their own identities and are all different in looks. In the Smoke, Tally
realizes even more that being pretty takes away her own identity and that everyone is beautiful in
their own way. Tally asks David in the Smoke Becoming pretty doesnt just change the way
you look, and he responds back with No, it changes the way you think (Westerfield 254).
Tally needed Shay and David because they proved to her that being different is acceptable and
that she does not need to be pretty. They showed her that she is unique and made her identity
change into a young woman that enjoyed being her true self than following the remaining crowd
of pretties.
In our world, there are also positive influences that shape ones identity and their decision
making. The website Secure Teen states that Positive peer pressure can help you reflect on your
actions and amend your ways to become a better individual. Observing others working hard to
achieve their goals will definitely encourage you to step up your game and strive towards
something positive in the article How Positive Peer Pressure Works. Shay and David in
Uglies are evidence towards this statement from Secure Teen because from Tally seeing their
views on being pretty, she reflected on her own views about being pretty and became aware that
being pretty is not everything. Secure Teen also indicates Having a group that exerts positive
peer pressure can also help you give up bad habits and pick up healthy ones that can shape both
your personality and your future. A change in perspective about life and motivation to do well
because of pressure from your peers can actually become inspiration in that instance.
In Uglies, negative outside influence on ones identity is also shown by the character Dr.
Cable. Dr. Cable is a doctor within Uglies that manipulates Tally to go find Shay in the Smoke in
order for Tally to receive the pretty surgery. Dr. Cable persuades Tally to go into the Smoke as
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a spy so they can capture all the runaways that did not receive the operation. Dr. Cable affects
Tallys identity because she peer pressures Tally to do something wrong when Tally does not
want to. Although, Tally did not want to, she desired the surgery deeply and did what Dr. Cable
ordered. This action between Dr. Cable and Tally reveal the negative influences on decision
making and how it can have a strong impact on someone.
In our world, negative influences are seen as well like Uglies and can shape ones identity
and decisions profoundly because it makes everyone in a crowd do the same actions, even if one
does not want to. For example, friends that construct negative peer pressure can shape ones
identity which Uttara Manohar explains in the article Effects of Peer Pressure on the website
Buzzle. Manohar makes aware that Peer pressure can lead to loss of individuality. Extreme peer
pressure may lead you to follow what your peers feel right. Their pressure may compel you to go
by everything they think is right. You follow them blindly; you adopt their tastes of fashion,
clothing, hair, music and living at large. Peer pressure can actually lead you to lose your own
taste. You feel forced to like what they like and do what they do. Peer pressure is the tendency to
join the bandwagon; you lose your originality of thought and conduct. You forget the way you
wanted to live. You lose your identity. This assertion indicates that peer pressure from friends
damages ones identity and makes them all think uniformly just how the pretty surgery creates in
Uglies. It also shows that peer pressure from friends is then attached with a persons decisions
and choices because if one thinks that their friends would not do a certain action, then they will
not do it. Peer pressure in our society is strenuous to get out of because it takes a great quantity
of pride to stand up for ones personal beliefs than doing the activities friends participate in.
Manohar expresses Friends never make you lose your identity, making friends is about
appreciating the differences and respecting individual tastes and still being together. So
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remember that if someone asks you to change yourself and be like them in order to be accepted -
you are better off without them. Be comfortable with identity of who you are, and you will soon
make new friends and be accepted by everyone. The effects of peer pressure can be prevented by
simply teaching your child to be confident and comfortable in their own skin, without giving in
such social influences. Shay and David in Uglies signify this statement because they showed
Tally that being different is okay and that she never has to change herself for anyone. In reality,
the people who a person spends their time with are a reflection of themselves because they all
will learn from each other which Tally learned from David and Shay.
Finding ones identity is a process that changes all the time because people are finding
new attributes about themselves. One must go through experiences to realize the type of person
they are because it does not come right away. In Uglies, Tally goes through many trials that
shape her identity and she now realizes the woman she is. In our world, people experience
pressures, expectations and people that influence their identity also. Expectations will make it
challenging to stick to ones true self but at the end of the day, one must do what they want to do
because it is their life. Society might have life set up for men and women already, but life is
better when a person engages in life the way they set it up. There will be obstacles when finding
ones identity but they will shape a person into the kind of person they want to be.




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Works Cited
Gender Roles and Differences. Boundless Textbook. Boundless Textbook, Web. 20 Feb. 2014
Gender Roles and Expectations. Teen Ink. Teen Ink, Web. 20 Feb. 2014
How Positive Peer Pressure Works. Secure Teen. Secure Teen, 25 June. 2013. Web. 11 March.
2014.
Holden, Martha. The Family's Influence on Identity. Global Post. Ed. Demand Media.
2014 GlobalPost, Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Leith, William. The ugly, unfair truth about looking beautiful. The Telegraph.
Telegraph Media Group Limited 2014, 16 Sep. 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Manohar, Uttara. Effects of Peer Pressure. Buzzle. 2000-2013, 2014 Buzzle.com,
3 Oct. 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Sacks, Rachel. Being a female in todays society comes with many unrealistic expectations
and standards. Miami Student. 2014 The Miami Student, 29 March. 2013. Web. 20
Feb. 2014.
Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse, 2011. Print.