Pretties

Zane is Tally’s partner in both romance and her endeavor to free the rest of the Crims of their brain lesions. He has “extreme” facial characteristics that his self-induced starvation (an effort to maintain bubbliness) accentuates, and he dyes his hair black with calligraphy ink. In the beginning of the novel, he is an attractive but daunting figure. As he and Tally grow closer, he becomes less impressive and more human. His “bubbliness” has made him the leader of the Crims—a position that allows Zane and Tally to clear the others’ minds.

Zane, like Tally, once knew David and Smoke. Zane’s own fear cut short his efforts to leave the city and also caused him to betray the Smokies when Dr. Cable interrogated him before his pretty surgery. He can sympathize with Tally because they both have made mistakes that jeopardize the rebels’ well-being. He and Tally speculate that these betrayals have contributed to their bubbliness, preventing the two of them from fully achieving pretty-mindedness. One of Zane’s largest goals is to return to Smoke and make up for his past errors.

Zane serves as one of the novel’s prime sources of forward momentum. As nanos meant to destroy his lesions eat his brain, he suffers headaches and cognitive difficulties. The more time he and Tally spend trying to free themselves from the city, the more at risk he is of permanent brain damage. Ultimately, they make their escape too late, and his health has deteriorated beyond the point of being able to support himself by the time he and Fausto reach New Smoke. Zane’s experience symbolizes the risks that come with rebellion. Tally chooses him over David because of their shared experiences in New Pretty Town, despite knowing it will leave her at the mercy of Special Circumstances. Tally and Zane’s love for each other is shown to be stronger than their fear of being pretty-minded.

Shay begins the novel as Tally’s friend from her ugly days. She had escaped the city and fled to the Smoke rebel group, initiating the events of the first novel. In Pretties, she and Tally are pretty and once again best friends. Westerfeld describes Shay in vague terms, her only notable characteristic being her copper-colored eyes. Much of Shay’s purpose early in the narrative is to encourage and support Tally as Tally transitions from ugly life to pretty life. She helps Tally become a member of the Crims social group and follows Tally’s lead to become clearheaded.

However, Tally’s betrayal of Shay in Uglies causes conflict when her thoughts start to clear. Shay hates Tally for starting a relationship with David, bringing the Specials to Smoke, and sharing the cure for the brain lesions with Zane instead of her. Shay becomes desperate to free herself of pretty-mindedness and descends into self-harm and impulsive tendencies, illustrating how the absence of a support system can force people into perilous situations. Shay eventually becomes a Special because her desire for mental freedom outweighs her sense of self-preservation.

At the end of the novel, Shay and Tally’s relationship is uncertain. Although Shay insists that Tally must become a Special so that they can be best friends, Tally observes that there is “a cold, serene intelligence in Shay’s voice, a pitiless joy in having snared her old betrayer” and suspects that turning Tally into a Special is a form of revenge (367). This uncertainty adds a layer of tension as the book ends; not only is Tally forced to undergo the Special operation, but she may also be surrounded by enemies once she completes it.

Dr. Cable’s actual presence in the book is limited to two scenes, but she looms over the events as a constant threat. Westerfeld describes her as wolf-like, with cruel features and sharpened teeth. She wears the signature gray silks identifying her as a Special Circumstances operative. She is one of the few adult figures present in the novel, and the only one who speaks to Tally honestly. Dr. Cable’s belief system does not align with Tally’s, but the two discuss her moral outlook and Dr. Cable discusses sensitive information freely with her. Dr. Cable complicates the plot of the novel when she introduces the idea of recruitment to Tally, making it clear that the two of them have a shared history of “tricky” behavior and leading Tally to question her own standing.

Dr. Cable provides the alternative viewpoint on the brain lesions. While Tally sees the lesions as a betrayal and reduction of self, Dr. Cable sees them as necessary. She tells Tally that “We are under control, Tally, because of the operation. Left alone, human beings are a plague” (135). Dr. Cable draws on history to highlight the bad things people are capable of and to reinforce the necessity of keeping people in check. This moral ambiguity seeps into Tally’s thoughts when she becomes trapped on a reservation with violent villagers. Seeing the way the people live makes Tally reconsider Dr. Cable’s viewpoint, although she is ultimately unconvinced. Dr. Cable is thus an extremely dangerous force, as she has power and a strong moral stance that informs her decisions.

Andrew Simpson Smith is an ugly man in his late teens or early 20s who lives on a government-run reservation used to study human nature. He has some facial stubble and is close to Tally’s height, though thin and wiry. He is a holy man among the villagers because he can speak the language of the “gods”—the language that the pretty community speaks. When Tally meets him, Andrew is grieving the loss of his father, who was murdered by rivals from a neighboring village. This forced Andrew to step into the position of holy man sooner than he was expecting. He displays a significant amount of curiosity, but also seems to doubt the status of the gods. This allows him and Tally to become allies by mitigating the inequality of a worshiper-worshiped scenario.

Andrew’s presence complicates the narrative. Tally and he bond during their travels to the “edge of the world,” and Tally enjoys his curiosity. However, he is also eager for violence and murder, which disturbs Tally and makes her wonder if the lesions were a good idea after all. The two spend a week together, and Tally watches Andrew learn about the world through her stories. This leads her to sympathize with his situation, and she realizes that she must help him and the other villagers escape one day. Andrew helps Tally grow by challenging her worldview, offering alternative perspectives, and eventually causing her to develop a stronger sense of empathy than she had previously possessed. Tally’s resolution to come to his aid in the future shows the roundness of her character.