Whether someone is meeting you in person, creeping your OKCupid profile, or carding you when you see an R-rated movie, they are checking out your appearance (and, man, that driver's license photo is awful). Appearances matter, and a good first impression is less about putting a good foot forward than it is about putting your best face forward. The characters in Mortal Engines are no different. A lot of value is put on physical appearance, and that involves both people and the cities they live in. And fair or not, it's the pretty ones who get special treatment.
Questions About Appearances
- Would Tom have liked Katherine as much—and would Katherine have liked Bevis Pod as much—if Katherine and Bevis weren't so blindingly attractive?
- Why does Tom constantly tell us how ugly Hester is? Is she really ugly?
- How does the appearance of London—with its grimy lower tier and gleaming white upper tier—reflect the social classes that live in each tier?