Comparison of Uglies and the Hunger Games
The Hunger Games, Uglies and Futuristic Ideas
Humankind has thought up of many different ways our future could be like. Some imagine robots and flying cars, while others think of freedom and peace. Although Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games and Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies seem to have nothing in common at first glance, their time setting is what makes them alike. Both taking place in a distant future, they both create an image of what the world could look like. However, robots and flying cars aren’t part of the picture at all. In fact, they both have a view on the future that isn’t quite like what people would imagine.
First off, both books put a lot of emphasis on beauty. According to these books, plastic surgery could be a big thing in the future, much bigger than it is now. While only the population of the Capitol have access to these procedures in The Hunger Games, Katniss speaks a lot of how their looks barely even look human. Dying their skin green, purple hair being seen everywhere, changing their eye color permanently, those are just some of the things the people of the Capitol do to make themselves “prettier”. In Uglies, However, beauty is forced on everyone. In fact, at the age of 16, everyone gets a drastic transformation, where their entire body becomes symmetrical, their body proportions are remade and they basically become perfect humans. Thus, beauty is seen in a very different way than it is now in both novels.
Furthermore, ancient humans (meaning us) are put to blame in both novels. Both societies living with limited resources, they have thought of multiple ways to overcome the difficulties we have left them with. In The Hunger Games, Katniss speaks a lot of how her ancestors have destroyed the planet. Even though the Capitol has access to anything they could ever want, the 12 districts live in famine, sickness and poverty. The people in Uglies, however, live a rather comfortable life. Instead of living with limited resources, like the
Humankind has thought up of many different ways our future could be like. Some imagine robots and flying cars, while others think of freedom and peace. Although Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games and Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies seem to have nothing in common at first glance, their time setting is what makes them alike. Both taking place in a distant future, they both create an image of what the world could look like. However, robots and flying cars aren’t part of the picture at all. In fact, they both have a view on the future that isn’t quite like what people would imagine.
First off, both books put a lot of emphasis on beauty. According to these books, plastic surgery could be a big thing in the future, much bigger than it is now. While only the population of the Capitol have access to these procedures in The Hunger Games, Katniss speaks a lot of how their looks barely even look human. Dying their skin green, purple hair being seen everywhere, changing their eye color permanently, those are just some of the things the people of the Capitol do to make themselves “prettier”. In Uglies, However, beauty is forced on everyone. In fact, at the age of 16, everyone gets a drastic transformation, where their entire body becomes symmetrical, their body proportions are remade and they basically become perfect humans. Thus, beauty is seen in a very different way than it is now in both novels.
Furthermore, ancient humans (meaning us) are put to blame in both novels. Both societies living with limited resources, they have thought of multiple ways to overcome the difficulties we have left them with. In The Hunger Games, Katniss speaks a lot of how her ancestors have destroyed the planet. Even though the Capitol has access to anything they could ever want, the 12 districts live in famine, sickness and poverty. The people in Uglies, however, live a rather comfortable life. Instead of living with limited resources, like the