Twarz znana, twarz nieznana : o tetralogii "Brzydcy" Scotta Westerfelda

Abstract

The author interprets the tetralogy by the American writer Scott Westerfeld, which consists of three novels: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras. The main character of the first three books is Tally Youngblood who lives in an ideal town of the future (24th century) where there is no hunger, poverty or unemployment and everyone undergoes a plasic surgery on their sixteenth birthday in order to turn from the ugly into the Pretty and start a new, carefree life. The author touches on various meanings of a face, the appearance of which is very frequently described by the narrator. The face is a synonim of identity, a mask, a new life. The face known — this is the ugly face of the main character, the unknown — her face after the surgery. The other meaning of “face” can be found in Extras, where face is also a place in a ranking in a town, where what counts most is whether you are watched online by other inhabitants. Interpreting the cycle, the author points out that although Westerfeld’s novels are fantastic, they clearly relate to the contemporary discussions concerning beauty and human existence on the Internet.