Question

english 3 dol: r5/6
name
hour
your task: read the two quotes below comparing the characterization of both sets of aliens.
first set of aliens
\the lurid glow of marquees and brothels revealed to us a shivering, shambling crowd, some slumped like apes, some clutching their young. some had five limbs, some four, and some three. their joints were crablike, and their movement both resembled ours and differed to such a degree that it sickened us to watch. there were sixty - four of them, including the juveniles. although we were unacquainted with their biology, it was plain that none were in good health\ (yu 3).
second set of aliens
\when they emerged from their needle ships, their bodies were fluid and reflective, like columns of quicksilver, but with every minute among us, they lost more and more of their formless brilliance, dimming and thickening, acquiring eyes, foreheads, chins, and hands. within half an hour, they resembled us perfectly. or rather, they resembled what we dreamed of being, the better versions of ourselves who turned heads, drove fast cars, and recognized the six most expensive whiskeys by smell alone; whose names topped the donor rolls of operas, orchestras, and houses of worship; who were admired, respected, adored\ (yu 6).
how does yu contrast the characterization of the two sets of aliens to develop a theme of the text?
your response should be 4 - 5 sentences.

Explanation:

Yu contrasts the first set of aliens, depicted as sickly, misshapen, and associated with seedy environments (marquees, brothels), with the second set, who transform into idealized, admired beings. The first aliens’ flawed physicality (varying limbs, crab - like joints) and poor health contrast with the second’s fluid, then perfect - seeming forms and elite - like traits (knowing expensive whiskies, topping donor rolls). This contrast develops a theme about societal values: the text critiques how society idolizes superficial perfection and status (seen in the second aliens’ admiration) while marginalizing those who appear “imperfect” (like the first aliens), highlighting the shallowness of such value systems.

Answer:

Yu contrasts the first set of aliens, portrayed as physically misshapen (with varying limbs, crab - like joints) and unwell, associated with seedy spaces, with the second set, who transform into idealized, admired figures with elite - like traits. The first aliens’ sickly, irregular forms contrast with the second’s fluid - to - perfect transformation and status - driven admiration. This contrast develops a theme critiquing societal values: it shows how society idolizes superficial perfection and status (embodied by the second aliens) while marginalizing those who seem “imperfect” (like the first aliens), highlighting the shallowness of such value systems.