A moving and heart-rending memoir.
Author: Robert Hoge. Robert Hoge was born In Brisbane in 1972. Robert was born with a tumor that covered all his face and deformed legs. Robert didn't have a perfect childhood nor life. He had many bumpy roads that he had to overcome. Robert wrote this book called "ugly" about himself. He wrote this to tell us his experience with his childhood and his many problems growing up ugly and different.
Setting: The setting was took in place around in 1972, when he was born. He lives in Brisbane. In the book, the setting is in many different places but mostly based around hospitals and school.
Plot Summary: The main point of this book or story is to tell us about the experiences that Robert has had from being ugly and different. Even though Robert has been through alot, with operations for his tumor and face, with bullying, and trying to fit in, he never gave up. He was courageous and he didn't let anyone stop him from doing what he wanted to do.
Characters: 1) Roberts Mother: When Robert was first born, his mother didn't want nothing to do with him, she didn't want to keep Robert because she didn't want an ugly child. She eventually came around and loved Robert dearly. She supports Robert through everything, even if it might be risky.
2) Roberts Father: Robert's father has been accepting from the start, he was in denial at first when he seen Robert, but he knew all he didn't was love and care. As Robert's mother, His father has always been his number 1 supporter. He loved Robert alot.
3) His siblings and his school friends encourage him to keep doing what he is doing to accomplish his goals.
Theme of the book: I generally think the theme of the book is to stay strong and not give up no matter how hard it is. No matter how ugly and different we are, we matter just as much as anyone else in the world.
Primary conflict: The primary conflict in this book is that Robert has a tumor between his eyes, and along with all the operations and other complications, he has deformed legs. The problem is he is ugly and he has trouble growing up with these problems. He doesn't have a childhood like normal kids do. He has to worry about how he will make it through the next day. He overcome this by changing the world. He encouraged himself to keep going and to keep fighting, he never let a another one's words bother him. Even though he was ugly and different on the outside, he wasn't on the inside.
Quotes from"Ugly": 1: "I'm the ugliest person you've ever met" says Robert. Robert things he's ugly because he has a tumor. 2: "It was me, my legs, and my ugly face against the world". Robert had to fight against the mean and cruel world because he is ugly and different.
Vocabulary:
1: Prosthesis: an artificial body part, such as a leg.
2: Ventured: dare to do something or go somewhere dangerous.
3: Craniofacial Surgery: surgical plastic surgery
4: Symmetrical: similar parts made up
5: Begrudgingly: to envy or dislike the pleasure of doing something.
Do I Recommend? I do recommend this book, because it's amazing. It's a truthful story about a boy making it through a cruel world being ugly and different. Sometimes, we as teens and children think badly about ourselves, and this book is relatable. We can relate to how he feels somehow. We can also take what he has done to something we can do....change he world for the better. I think if you read this book, you'll absolutely love it, I didn't think i would at first, but I do now. This book changes me and makes me want to be a better person, we criticize people on a daily basis, not knowing how bad it will affect them personally, and seeing and hearing about it from a victim of bullying, makes my perspective change about things. Hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
Sources: www.dictionary.com & http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-16/robert-hoge-embraces-ugly-in-a-beauty-obsessed-world/4959136
Credits:
Created with images by CarbonNYC [in SF!] - "Vanity in Miniature" • Cat Sparx - "Robert Hoge & Kate Eltham" • Cat Sparx - "Bill Congreve & Robert Hoge" • Cat Sparx - "Robert Hoge, Gary Kemble & Richard Pitchforth" • reneebigelow - "courage chalk hand" • Bull Gator - "We-become-what-we-think" • Brett Jordan - "Self Control (lock)" • Brett Jordan - "Definitive (lock)"