The theme of inner strength is interwoven throughout Uglies, “The Third and Final Continent”, and The Art of Resilience. The characterization of Tally Youngblood-the stubborn and resilient main character-advances the theme in Uglies. Correspondingly, the unnamed narrator in “The Third and Final Continent” attains inner strength by moving from Europe to America with no friends or relatives. Equivalently, Hara Estroff Marano’s The Art of Resilience explains the misconception that a problematic childhood leads to a socially disturbed adulthood; the plot supports the reality that inner strength is the actual outcome. It is clear that inner strength is the key to defeating barriers. Inner strength is not a trophy everyone achieves; it is a virtue
