Essay Comparing The Handmaid's Tale And Gattaca

The Dystopian Dream of Brave New World, The Handmaid’s Tale and GATTACA

In Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill writes that “it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.” By this he meant there are qualitative degrees of satisfaction and if to be satisfied we’re lowered in status to that of a pig, it’s better for us to be dissatisfied humans. The film GATTACA and the books Brave New World and The Handmaid’s Tale create fictional places where the needs and desires of humans are met, but not as well as they should be and not without a price. Given the achievements in science over the last several decades, specifically in areas of genetics and biology, it is no wonder why we dream of altering our world in the name of progress. But with social progress in these tales comes repressed

Rather than leave genetics up to chance, technology offers expectant parents the opportunity to genetically enhance their children before they’re born. These genetically superior offspring are known as “valids” and are given the best opportunity in Gattaca’s society. For example, when Vincent, an invalid, borrows the identity of the valid Jerome Morrow, an interview to work for Gattaca consists only of a urine test. It’s assumed that his genes carry all his potential. There’s no need for him to answer questions his DNA can answer for him. GATTACA is similar to The Handmaid’s Tale in that both societies attempt to control reproduction, though they do it in different ways. In Atwood’s novel, the new government regulates reproduction with force and in GATTACA invalids are ostracized by society so much that genetic enhancement almost becomes mandatory if a child is to have a successful future. In Gattaca’s society the technology of genetic engineering creates a social dependance on genetic determinism, which isn’t as certain as they