A central question of the novel Pretties is whether free will is more important than conformity for social betterment. Characters have vastly different perspectives as to whether protecting the environment and the species justifies subjugating the masses, and Westerfeld compares these perspectives while leaving enough room for doubt.

Tally, Zane, and New Smoke are firmly of the belief that free will is more important than societal gain. Maddy, David’s mother, founded Smoke with her husband when they discovered the presence of brain lesions that affect people’s actions and thoughts. She and her husband raised David away from the city, determined that he would never have to experience the curtailment of his free will. They built a rebel group centered on freeing people from this effect of the pretty surgery, going to great lengths to provide the cure. Tally and Zane take a highly experimental pill to achieve clearheadedness—a cure that leaves Zane brain damaged. Despite the consequences, Zane insists, “I hadn’t felt so alive since I’d turned pretty; it was worth it, being bubbly with you” (338). They believe the rewards outweigh the risks and that human freedom is necessary for progress.