"There is no gene for the human spirit."
In class, we recently watched the movie GATTACA to evaluate the effects of science and technology upon society. The movie expressed a very intriguing plot in "the not-so-distant future" where the "best" genes can be selected to produce exceptional offspring. Everything can be determined from eye color to the probability of alcoholism. It is still possible to produce children without the use of selective genetics, but the results are considered impure. How does this fictional world compare to the one we are advancing towards? To reflect on the teachings of GATTACA, there are a few questions that we can analyze.
1. The following terms (de-gene-erate, In-valid) were used in the movie. How do they relate to the words we use: degenerate and invalid?
The words are very similar, but relate more closely to genetics. They take terms tat are used commonly today and applied them to a negative tone to describe human beings that carried less desirable traits.
2. Why do you think Vincent left his family, tearing his picture out of the family photo, after winning the swimming race against his brother?
When Vincent overcame his brother physically, he became re-born in the sense that he realized his potential. All his life, leading up to this point, he lived in the shadow of his brother, and when he realized he didn't have to, he felt he had to cut all ties to the life where he lived in restraint. He had to pursue a future where he could live as he wanted.
3. Describe the relationship between Vincent and Anton.
Vincent and Anton have a very interesting relationship that deals with the conflict of average sibling rivalry in addition to the competition for affection based on the imbalance of their genetic situation. (Vincent was conceived naturally while Anton was conceived through selective genetics.) In the present, they also must understand life from the other's perspective, Vincent coping with having nothing expected of him and Anton having everything expected of him.
4. When Jerome Morrow said to Vincent/Jerome, “They’re not looking for you. When they look at you, they only see me,” what did he mean? Can you find any parallels to this type of situation in real life?
Jerome meant that his name had become an idea, not a specific person. By losing his ability to lose his legs, he lost his identity. When Vincent gained Jerome's name, he acquired a world of possibility. Jerome's name had become nothing but a label for a perfect genetic code. This is very similar to things we see in reality, most often in celebrities. When people talk about celebrities, they almost always seem to forget that there is a real human with real emotions attached to the name.
5. Choose your favorite character from the film. Explain why you choose that person. Would you want to be that person? Why? Why not?
My favorite character from the film was Jerome Morrow. He added a sense of humility to the film, showing that there is a part of life that genetics cannot change or predict. He showed that being perfect is not possible. Personally, I would not like to be Jerome, but I am humbled by his story.
6. At the end of the film, you are told that the Doctor knew about Vincent all along. Why did the Doctor go along with the fraud? What would you have done if you were the Doctor?
The doctor went along with the fraud because he understood the importance of being human. He empathized with the trails of living with imperfect genetics, and decided hat Vincent deserved a chance to pursue his aspirations. If I were in the same position the doctor was in, I would have acted in the same fashion.
7. The technology to do what was done in the movie is definitely possible within the next ten years. Do you think that Vincent’s world could eventually happen in America? Why?
I believe that unless America begins to realize that human life revolves around more than genetics and a spark of electricity, and that life is not an experiment, the world of GATTACA will easily become a part of society.
8. What do you think is wrong with the society portrayed in "GATTACA"? What is right?
The society of GATTACA is beneficial in the sense that human life will be lengthened and that hereditary diseases will be eliminated. The issues of this society lie in desensitization and the belief that all life can be controlled.
9. What were the screenwriters trying to tell us through the episode of the 12-fingered pianist? Is anything wrong with engineering children to have 12 fingers if, as a result, they will be able to make extraordinarily beautiful music?
The screenwriters were trying to portray how even perfection has flaws. Engineering children to have traits specific to a profession is wrong because it is trying to decide your child's fate for them. This cannot be justified by the outcome.
10. How does the society portrayed in GATTACA resemble the type of society that some Americans were hoping for during the height of the Eugenics movement?
The Eugenics movement was very similar to GATTACA in that the ambition was to select only the "best" genes, eliminating the imperfect ones. Every person would be a "model citizen".
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