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Genetic Perfection in Gattaca
Topic: "The world of Gattaca is focused on genetic perfection, yet it is the imperfect Vincent that achieves the most"
Discuss.
Set within a world governed by genetic engineering, Andrew Niccol's film, Gattaca, portrays the dire consequences of such a society in "the not too distant future". Given a pre-determined life as a "god child" due of his parent's adherence to religious beliefs, Vincent Freeman is an individual who "refuses to play the hand he was dealt". Vincent although seemingly cursed with an imperfect genetic composition manages to overcome considerable odds in order to achieve his dream of space travel.
From the moment that Vincent was conceived, he was born into a world where ridiculous restrictions were already placed upon him that prohibited him from pursuing after his goals. Antonio, Vincent's father was aware from the exact instant that his "In-Valid" son was born that he did not have the necessary genetic traits, thus he deemed Vincent not worthy enough to bestow upon his own name. Throughout his childhood Vincent was constantly subjected to prejudicial ridicule from the so called superior "Valid" caste. Incidents such as the symbolic shutting of the metal gate in Vincent's face as he was denied entry to a kinder garden due to the fact that "insurance wouldn't cover" his apparently inferior status. Vincent was also subjected to taunting by his smug "Valid" brother Anton especially during their "favourite game" chicken. Chicken was an exhausting swimming race in which the two brothers would swim frantically "out towards the horizon" to see who would "chicken" out and swim back first. With constant taunts such as "come on you coward" it is quite commendable that Vincent re...
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...distant future". He is disadvantaged because of his parents' adherence to strong religious beliefs which leave his conception vulnerable to the vagaries of random genetics. Consequently, in a society where genetic engineering is increasingly normal rather than an exception, it appears that Vincent will always live in the shadow of genetically superior beings. As he mixes with members of the "Valid" world despite his own "In-Valid" condition, he manages to gain considerable respect and admiration because of his persistence, even from people unaware of his status as a genetic impostor. Although Vincent is at the lower end of the genetic hierarchy, it is due to his ferocious determination and unquenchable desire that he is able to rise above his colleagues and achieve his dreams. It is these qualities that deem Niccol's central protagonist unique in the world of Gattaca.
In the movie Gattaca, the doctor said that Vincent would have heart failure and was looked down upon because of his disability. In the society today people would not like to be without control of their own life. In the book Brave New World and in the film Gattaca, both societies use genetic engineering to create the character’s destiny without the approval of the beholder.
Andrew Niccol’s 1997 film Gattaca supports the belief that nature, despite its defects, is preferable to a flawless genetically engineered existence. This idea is explored through the character of Vincent who exhibits desire, resilience and determination, natural ‘human’ elements that cannot be manufactured and are seemingly not present in the ‘faultless’ future that is presented in Gattaca. These characteristics appear to be contrasted by the other characters in the film, such as Anton and the conforming Irene, who are perceived to be ‘flawless’ in the context of their surroundings but are quite mechanical and emotionless. This is due to the fact that whilst they are genetically ‘perfect’, they do not seem to possess the human qualities, such as the endeavor or the spirit that Vincent embodies.
Dena Davis in the 5th chapter of “Genetic Dilemmas: Reproductive Technology, Parental Choices, and Children’s Futures” explores the global attitudes, policies, and morality towards determination of sex. She begins with presenting empirical evidence of some preferences held in countries such as India or China where there is a clear desire for male children. This inclination is so deeply held that mothers can be socially and physically harmed when, by pure biological chance, they fail to produce a male child. Davis and others allow sex selection in these cases, purely in the interest of harm reduction of mothers and their daughters born into such a situation. This example is contrasted with so-called “western” societies, where the preference
Gattaca presents a world destroyed by the pursuit of perfection. Do you agree with this? “The word perfection cannot be defined as one person or one thing. Perfection can only be told or seen in a first person view. No one will genuinely think something or someone is as perfect as another person, it’s impossible to see eye to eye with something that is as powerful and subjective as perfection.”
In Brave New World, Bernard fights against a society that devalues his individuality and thereby lessens his sense of identity and self worth. From birt...
...g the perfect life should seem unrealistic to anyone evaluating the goal from an objective perspective; however the circumstances of the characters in the presented literary works exaggerate the expectations of everyday society. Each work focuses on portraying a flaw inherent in human nature from a different angle and ultimately, the characters’ quests for perfection demonstrate that the flaws permeating human nature are inescapable, prophesying failure for all those who seek to embody perfection.
to make them perfect is taking away what makes them human. To achieve such perfection is impossible. This theme is expressed through the literary elements imagery, symbolism, and foreshadowing.
The nature of politics to manipulate and delude the masses allows the political motivations to be ambiguous, however, with control as the ultimate goal it renders people and politics to be antithetical to each other. Political motivations are based on the inherent qualities of the politicians which can be adverse for the populace but a personal gain for themselves. In Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World and Andrew Niccol’s 1997 film Gattaca the notions of science and technological advancements, discrimination, and the lack of freedom are explored to demonstrate the ramifications of politics on people and to establish a dichotomy between a utopian and dystopian society. These are explored through the idea of genetic engineering as the underlining
Vincent, a character, throughout the movie, “Gattaca,” had to go through major changes and lies to be successful. Vincent was not a designer baby so he did not have the characteristics that were desired like his brother, Anton. Not being a designer baby set obstacles in Vincent’s path to success. Vincent had to make risky moves to get where he desired and wanted to succeed, in outer space. He made a friend Jerome, an actual designer baby, to help him get into the Gattaca, an outer space program. To become successful, Vincent buys Jerome's DNA to help get himself into the space program. Designer babies would qualify you to make it into the Gattaca program. Since Vincent uses the other DNA, he has to lie his way throughout the program, but eventually
As the story begins, the reader is immediately told of Victor’s noble stature in society as he states “I am by birth a Genevese, and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic” (Shelly 14). His family was constantly travelling when he was younger and his parents devoted all their affection towards him. As he grew older, his desire for knowledge leads him to travel abroad so he could earn the best education. Victor was born into a happy, enjoyable, and wealthy life, but still strived to excel at everything in his life. The passion he expresses towards bettering himself in the means of knowledge connects the reader to him. Everyone has goals, and seeing someone push themselves to the limits to achieve them gives a sense of hope. Unfortunately, Victor’s lust for knowledge go...
Huxley Living in a genetically perfect world is not necessarily a great achievement to mankind. It makes one think, "where do you draw the line in the advancement of eugenics?" Both worlds, the Brave New one and Gattaca, are alternative futures (clearly dystopic), written and shown in a believable way (not as much in BNW, though) through the use of satire. Also, for GATTACA, the director incorporates the traditional elements of movie - a murder-mystery tied in with a love story PLUS a science fiction touch - very effectively. Satire in Huxley's novel is glaringly obvious (mockery of the education system and the morals of today along with many more topics), as he writes with the purpose of teaching and humoring at the same time. However, with GATTACA, the satirical messages are not immediately perceivable - even after having seen the movie three times.
On Christmas Day in the year 2001, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. When I looked into the brand-new face of my son I saw a beautiful mystery. I wondered what kind of man my boy would grow to be and what his life would be like. There are those in the scientific community who would argue that my son's path was already determined at the moment of his birth, that his fate could be deciphered from his genetic make-up. As a nurturing mother I know better. At two years old my son has developed a more diverse vocabulary than many children twice or even three times his age. He recognizes many written words and reads them aloud. He is able to spell his name. He can distinguish a square from a rectangle and an octagon from a hexagon. Was he born with this knowledge? The answer is no. My son, as genetically gifted as he may be, could have been born into an environment in which his inborn potential was never developed. The knowledge he now possesses can be directly traced to the teaching environment in which he has grown. Human beings are a product of both their biology and their environment.
Ishiguro uses emotional appeal and relatable characters to try and connect the reader to the message that the novel was telling, whereas Niccol's view of a futuristic world is more of a blunt warning wrapped in a amazing story line. In their own separate ways, these two pieces of media are very effective in displaying the message hidden within the storyline, about the outcome that could possibly happen if we continue to strive for genetic perfection in a imperfect world. In both novels there were really only two options you could choose in life, follow the life that has been set out for you, the life that was planned out for you to live. Or find a way to go against the norm of your time, of your world, and do what you feel is right.
(p. 209). He creates this metaphor that he is a common blacksmith and Pip is a goldsmith. This difference in social class brought about their separation. Other characters that were also judged by their social class were Magwitch and Compeyson. They were both on trial for the same crime, but Compeyson got off easier than Magwitch because of his higher social class.
Gene soon realizes that Finny is not trying to be his rival. However, this realization only makes Gene angrier with Finny. He is irritated at the notion that he is "not of the same quality as Finny, thus he cannot possibly compete with Finny. At this