The Wretched and The Beautiful Analytical Essay Example

E. Lily Yu’s “The Wretched & The Beautiful” focuses on human society being petrified of change and, in turn, those who bring it.

Society is resistant to change, deeply rooted in the normal/acceptable. E. Lily Yu uses vivid imagery of disgust to show the repulsion brought about by these new settlers, and in turn their hatred of the different. The humans described the aliens as “crablike”, and that “their movement . . . differed to such a degree that it sickened”(Yu, par. 21) them to watch. This revolted attitude towards the aliens shows the humans’ immediate judgement of the different aliens. This is heavily contrasted by the humans’ positive response to the similar, second set of aliens. Instead of repulsion, the humans saw the aliens as “ourselves as we could be”(Yu, par. 43) and envisioned them as “loved ones and sympathetic teachers”(Yu, par. 44). This similarity, not only to the humans, but to what they wish they could be, causes the aliens to be treated much better than the original aliens. These stark differences in treatment show how those who differ from the humans’ idea of normal are treated much worse than those who fulfill the societal-norm.

The human’s resistance to change is also supported by their lack of willingness to accommodate or assist the original group of Aliens. The humans do not want to do anything that will change or disrupt their daily life. For example, when the aliens had first landed, only one person “offered to book a single room for the aliens for two nights”(Yu, par. 24). This reluctance to help those who are not similar to us is engrained in the selfish nature of the human race. This is also evident through the lack of care for the alien's wellbeing. When two aliens were “set upon and beaten to death with bricks”(Yu, par. 38) people only cared about how the perpetrators would not have a good future because of their actions. This willful ignorance towards the aliens shows that humans only care about those who are similar to them.