Introductory statement: Technological developments was once regarded progressive, as evolving biotechnologies are applied on human beings, its impact has been seen as regressive. In anticipation or dread of future technologies, authors and filmmakers alike, have used their talents to offer perspectives.
Thesis statement: Through the societies of Gattaca and Brave New World, Andrew Niccol and Aldous Huxley respectively portray eugenics as the the primary technological advance which is capable of transforming the future. The two populations face institutionalized discrimination in daily life, however, they differ on whether the individual can overcome inferiority in the new system. Both dystopian works examine genetic prejudice resulting in discrimination, the protagonist’s awareness of his inferiority, and the role of the individual spirit.
genetic castes and DNA-based discrimination
Genetic determinism: an ideology that holds that humans are nothing more than the sum of their genes
First paragraph
Topic sentence: The dystopian texts criticize the societal acceptance of genetic determinism which leads to systemic discrimination. The discrimination against genes is strong and a part of the society that most people seemed to have accepted.
genetic castes and DNA-based discrimination
social injustice, genetic engineers create "enhanced" humans
Evidence from:
Primary resource
BNW
caste system: 5 social classes Alphas, Betas, Deltas, Gammas, and Epsilons [highest to lowest] in society and each caste is further split into Plus and Minus members
higher classes: beautiful, intelligent, healthy people
lower classes are ugly, slow, and in poor health
G: not everyone has access to the technology, society [parents included] believe in genetic determinism... parents are encouraged to decide the genetic makeup of their offspring before birth,
Genetically unenhanced individuals is unable to evade severe discrimination. Thus, Vincent's parents, compromised personal values in exchange for an enhanced status. Their recognition that one's genetic profile determines his/her success the new class structure is a clear indication of how in Gattaca, they have "discrimination down to a science (Kirby, 2000). Huxley, author of Brave New World, distrusted the idea of a world which the elite planned for mankind as a whole (Bloom, 66). In reality, the political structure in both societies are hierarchical (Bloom, 67) despite technological developments whose objective was to create equality (Bloom, 72). In Brave New World, only a tiny minority who were thought capable. Valids, the genetically endowed individuals, have opportunities available to them such as being allowed to fly on space missions (Darnovsky, 2008). While Valids may opt to defy their genetic profile, Invalids' lack of genetic purity haunts them limiting their options. As shown in the film, job interviews are based solely on genetics. This not only creates an economic divide in society, but operates on the false basis also deeply instilled in the beliefs of Brave New World that genetic engineering can pre-determine an individual's behaviour and ability to perform a job (Kirby, 2000). Vincent Freeman as an Invalid could only get a job as a janitor at Gattaca. Bernard Marx, being born a Alpha Plus, was assigned to work as a psychologist while Lenina Crowne, a Beta Plus, was a caste lower, and was therefore employed as a Embryo Worker.
The film depicts Vincent, an Invalid's life which have been
Genetic determinism is willfully accepted by Gattaca's citizens whereas this
Gattaca [The systematic discrimination becomes corrupting influence on culture and society]
depicts a world divided by genetics into 2 castes: Valids are handsome, intelligent, genetically endowed upper class who have opportunities b/c of good health i.e. allowed to fly on space missions; Invalids are genetic have-nots with health issues and low-level jobs i.e. clean Gattaca
GENETICIST: You want to give your child the best possible start. Believe me, we have enough imperfection built in already. Your child doesn’t need any additional burdens.
In Gattaca world, non-enhanced babies are born only to the poor and the sexually reckless. Those who can possibly afford it consult with a genetic technician before initiating a pregnancy, and select their future child's traits for optimum success: sex, life expectancy, intelligence, appearance.
Secondary resource:
Children with high-caliber preselected genes are classified at birth as "Valids." They're the ruling elite, eligible for top careers and entitled to high social status. "In-Valids" labor at menial jobs with no way up or out. In one memorable scene, a team of In-Valid janitors in prisoner-like jumpsuits is bussed into a gleaming office building. It's clear that the only way they get through the door is to clean the toilets and sweep the floors
It is a world where a new form of discrimination has arisen, called genoism, discrimination according to one's genetic purity. He is one known as an invalid, a person born by normal means, whose genes have not been altered — contrary to the valids who are people whose genes have been altered to give them "the best of their parents". When he is born a reading is taken from his blood, and the probabilities of certain afflictions and genetic diseases are read off, one after another, to his dumbstruck parents. His probable life expectancy? A mere 33 years.
the scenario played out in GATTACA one where parents choose for their offspring the traits that are favored by society. An early scene shows Vincent’s parents discussing the genetics of their next baby, Anton, with a geneticist, who argues that it would be detrimental to the child not to remove traits that are likely to make him the butt of social prejudices.
The geneticist implies that individuals who lack the qualities that society finds desirable—a full head of hair, 20/20 vision, and low body weight—will face social discrimination. As was implied by Anton’s geneticist, those who are unable to be genetically enhanced before birth will face severe discrimination—based as much on the simple fact of unenhanced status as on any particular flaw or drawback. Indeed, as Vincent observes in the film, a new class structure has arisen based not on "social status or the color of your skin," but on one’s overall genetic profile; as a result, "we now have discrimination down to a science."
According to Vincent, discrimination against the genetically unenhanced is akin to contemporary racism or classism: "it’s illegal to discriminate on the basis of genetics—genoism it’s called—but no one takes the laws seriously." Likewise, the genetically unenhanced are referred to by derogatory names, such as "faith births," "defectives," "God children," or the officially sanctioned term, "in-valids." In-valids who illegally use the genetic profiles of "valids"—the genetically enhanced—are called "de-gene-erates" or "borrowed ladders." Several scenes depict physical barriers that powerfully illustrate the obstacles GATTACA’s society places in the path of unenhanced individuals. The scene in which Vincent’s parents are told that he will not be allowed to go to school with other children (because the school cannot afford the skyrocketing insurance rates required to cover an in-valid child) includes a close-up of the gate shutting in Vincent’s face; the only other object visible in the shot is young Vincent’s hand clutching at the closed gate. Another scene depicts the new "glass ceiling" that exists when genetic discrimination is illegal but openly practiced. Vincent, who before his "borrowed ladder" status as Jerome could only get a job as a janitor at Gattaca, is shown with his face pressed against a window looking up at the genetically-enhanced individuals who work inside as they ascend escalators. Similarly, Vincent is often shown gazing up through a skylight as Gattaca’s offworld missions rocket skyward, leaving him forever below. These glass barriers materialize the predicament faced by Vincent, who should legally be able to work on the inside but is shut out due to the discriminatory practices of GATTACA’s society. As Vincent comments, despite the fact that he has studied hard and is intellectually prepared for the job, "the best test score in the world wasn’t going to matter unless I had the blood test to go with it."
In GATTACA, the assumption that minority individuals are not capable of performing as well as others is called into question when a minority character is able not only to succeed but to better the accomplishments of individuals from the majority group. Discrimination against the genetically unenhanced presupposes that genetic determinism is the true state of the world and that genetic manipulation actually improves an enhanced individual’s behavior and ability to perform a job; in this case, the genetically enhanced should always perform better than the genetically unenhanced and genetic discrimination is justified. If genetic determinism is not a valid paradigm, however, then genetic manipulation will not automatically improve an enhanced individual’s behavior or distinguish such an individual from one whose genetic material has not been manipulated. In this case, the genetically unenhanced should be able to perform as well as, or better than, genetically-enhanced individuals, and genetic discrimination is not justified. Because the genetically-unenhanced Vincent proves to be more successful than all the genetically-enhanced characters, GATTACA dismisses the practice of genetic discrimination by rejecting its underlying assumption of genetic determinism.
Analysis:
babies are created in labs and genetically altered
* genetically altered babies; as infants, the people of these worlds are given their fates.
G: eliminate disease, human disabilities, and shortcomings BNW doesn’t
BNW: create certain numbers of each caste G: everyone can have custom-designed babies
BNW: believes there needs to intellectually superior Alphas, purposely brain-damaged Gammas, Deltas, Epsilons [menial jobs, higher-level jobs i.e. psychologist, World Controller]
G: mothers give birth BNW: babies decanted in labs
Technology has advanced in this film. It has come a long way from today’s technology. We are close in terms of the concept/idea, but in execution, we have not guaranteed babies will turn out as planned. Errors can still happen. The new social concepts are emphasized more than technology. Even in the 1980s, genetic engineering humans was a possibility. However, there were and still are many advocates against it. There are morality and other potential issues as shown in the film. For example, the drug test is more than testing for drugs, it is a way of identifying people. Thus, it is a way employers or really, the whole society, discriminates. It is an accepted form of discrimination. It is unethical for people to determine ability based on genes and pay money to “modify” children. From people’s broad outlook on life now to that narrow mindset in Gattaca is a step backward for society. A person’s character decides his destiny not his/her genes. One needs character to use his/her abilities and so, while genetic make-up is important, no one should be judged on that alone. This regressive society is unaware or ignorant of that fact.
The priest having to convince people to leave their baby’s well-being to God and choose natural birth illustrates the social dimensions changing as a new classist system takes over people’s minds. Psychologically, they begin to shift. It is a reversal of values. They no longer see the difference between right and wrong or the distortion in reality. If they could, they would not subject children to such treatment. ‘Valids’ suffer under the burden of perfection while ‘invalids’ have their destiny set for them unless they become a ‘borrowed ladder’. Vincent is one. He does not play the hand he was dealt with since he is supposed to be low-class and not have the potential of a valid. He pretends to be a ‘valid’ because he wants to go to space. His success at Gattaca show he is more than what was predicted of him. There are many successful people who did not achieve success right away, but was willing to work at it and did achieve what they wanted in the end because they were willing to work hard.
Eugene Morrow was deemed to succeed, but failed on his own. He fell into alcoholism and wasted his potential. However, when Vincent assumed his identity, he fulfilled expectations. Clearly, it is trying to say that the systematic discrimination is the result of man attempting to play God. It is not progress from a social outlook. We cannot measure progress based on technology only.
Second paragraph
Topic sentence
Point [of comparison]: protagonist feels acutely his inferiority in the new system
Evidence from:
Primary resource:
“... from an early age I came to think of myself as others thought of me - chronically ill”
Vincent was brought up to believe he was sub-par. He thought he was not as worthy as other children. Ordinarily, he would be playing with other children in kindergarden. However, at the day care center, he must be placed in a room with sleeping mats where children with obvious disabilities are. He is not given an opportunity to play outside in the jungle-gym or riding a bicycle like ‘healthy’ children are. Even his mother treats him as though he is abnormal. The way the adults in his life treat him differs greatly from the way genetically engineered children are treated. The disparity is noticeable, even to a young Vincent. At two years old, he is not ready to cope with the effects of his genetic prophecy. This causes him to develop a drive or have the ambition to achieve more than those who are more privileged than him.
Vincent being a God child suffers under the burden of imperfection.
Secondary resource:
Analysis:
Vincent, Bernard, John are curious and have a sense of reasoning which leads to them challenge the rules [of society]
Vincent resembles Bernard in that he dislikes the society he lives in because he feels he is discriminated against and sets a goal of distancing himself from it.
John and Bernard are also like Vincent in that he develops a hatred towards his society because he is a social outcast because his morals and beliefs are not widely accepted.
BNW
Bernard outcast because he is shorter in stature than the average of his caste, Alpha Plus. This quality shared by the lower castes, thus, he develops an inferiority complex
Bernard's differences fuel rumours that he was accidentally administered alcohol while incubated, a method used to keep Epsilons short.
His work with sleep-teaching has led him to realize that what others believe to be their own deeply held beliefs are merely phrases repeated to children while they sleep
Bernard's physique was hardly better than that of the average Gamma. He stood eight centimetres short of the standard Alpha height and was slender in proportion. Contact with members of he lower castes always reminded him painfully of this physical inadequacy (Huxley, 272)
For Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons had been to some extent conditioned to associate corporeal mass with social superiority. Indeed, a faint hypnopædic prejudice in favour of size was universal. Hence the laughter of the women to whom he made proposals, the practical joking of his equals among the men. The mockery made him feel an outsider; and feeling an outsider he behaved like one, which increased the prejudice against him and intensified the contempt and hostility aroused by his physical defects. Which in turn increased his sense of being alien and alone (Huxley, 55)
Third paragraph
Topic sentence
Points [of contrast]: protagonist’s fate [victory/failure]
While Bernard sets a goal of distancing himself from society, Vincent fights to become widely accepted.
In the worlds of Gattaca and Brave New World,
The film depicts Vincent, an Invalid's life which have been
Bernard's differences fuel rumours that he was accidentally administered alcohol while incubated, a method used to keep Epsilons short.
Vincent Freeman as an Invalid could only get a job as a janitor at Gattaca. Once he
Evidence from:
Primary resource
Gattaca
there is no gene for the human spirit
Vincent born as an invalid. He goes through life dreaming of traveling into space. His dream becomes a reality when he contacts a black market DNA dealer that arranges for Vincent to have the blood and urine of Jerome, a genetically perfect athlete however, paralyzed. Vincent is able to pass as a valid and nearly achieves his goal of traveling to space when the murder of the Director nearly exposes him. However, he eventually achieves his dream by carefully evading the police.
“I was a member of a relatively new and particularly detested segment of society; one of those who refuses to play the hand that he was dealt.”
“They [Maria and Anton Freeman] put off having any more children until they could afford not to gamble - to bring a child into the world in what has become the “natural” way.”
Gattaca's plot revolves around the tribulations and ultimate triumph of an In-Valid (played by Ethan Hawke) who refuses to accept his genetic destiny. Hawke's determined character manages not only to fool the genetic hierarchy's enforcers, but also to get the gorgeous upper-class girl.
BNW
Bernard rebels by thinking and reading. He appears to hate the society that he is in but once people pay attention to him, he conforms to it. When Bernard brings John the Savage back to the World State, John is troubled by it and eventually kills himself, representing the death of the society
attempts to control his own destiny
visits the Savage Reservation looking for some clue to a more meaningful existence and “does not succeed, fails to find happiness”
Secondary resource
BNW
In his weakness and confusion Bernard suggests a tragic Everyman figure, but he cannot make a moral choice (Bloom, 23)
Bernard takes soma to overcome what he cannot achieve by will [i.e. when jealous... of the affinity between the Savage + Helmholtz] (Bloom, 19)
for Bernard, purpose of life is not the maintenance of well-being, but “some intensification and refining of consciousness, some enlargement of knowledge” (Bloom, 29)
“When the individual feels, the community reels.” (89)
Gattaca
the genetically unenhanced Vincent is actually a superior human being, able to excel physically and socially despite his built-in "flaws."
Although Vincent is constantly reminded of his defective genes, it is his defects that have provided him with a trait that the other characters do not possess, spirit. One scene illustrates how Vincent’s spirit helps him to overcome his genetic defects: while on a date with Irene, he removes his contact lenses to hide from the police, rendering himself virtually blind. In the next scene—shot from Vincent’s out-of-focus perspective—he must cross a very busy highway at night to be with Irene. In a mixture of bravery and stupidity, he plunges across the highway, somehow making it to the other side. His desire to reach Irene allows him to overcome his defective vision, making this scene a microcosm of the film as a whole. Vincent’s bold if not miraculous crossing of the street points to his fervent desire to overcome all his real and imagined defects—whether this involves beating his genetically superior brother at swimming or working at the Gattaca corporation. The tagline for the film, "there is no gene for the human spirit," indicates that this quality cannot be engineered, emerging as it does out of an individual’s motivation when confronting the challenges of a specific context or environment. An individual who has been engineered with no flaws, such as Eugene, has nothing to overcome and no apparent need to improve himself. He thus lacks the "spirit" that Vincent has developed through the need to overcome his genetic heritage. According to GATTACA, then, the price paid for a genetically perfect world is the loss of the "human spirit."
Analysis:
Our present seems to have been replaced with a futuristic society who preferred to “hand pick” offspring rather than leaving it up to chance or God. The citizens seem to believe that genes determine one’s potential. However, Vincent would prove them wrong. One’s drive to succeed could contribute more to or just the same amount to one’s eventual accomplishments. The baby must deal with their life as an invalid. This film is the story of Vincent’s hopeful journey where he overcomes his bleak and dismal beginning.
Vincent overcomes his genes and outwits his superiors, the Valids. He succeeds in achieving his goal and triumphs over his brother and other Valids who have a cleaner profile than him. In the end, not a slave to his natural birth, Vincent frees himself from his genetics. Bernard, on the other hand, cannot adjust to life as a perceived “Gamma”.
While Vincent is able to change his identity by becoming a “borrowed ladder”, Bernard and John are not capable of concealing their identity to achieve their goals. Vincent is different from Bernard because he has more inner strength. In this sense, Vincent also differs from John since John commits suicide, and Vincent is more determined to live
In the end, Vincent is not a slave/labour because of his natural birth. He is freed from his genetics.
Vincent’s trip out of Gattaca is a prime example that genetics cannot predetermine destiny, it is just probable, thus, it is possible to fight it
“I was a member of a relatively new and particularly detested segment of society; one of those who refuses to play the hand that he was dealt.”
Vincent made the decision to become a borrowed ladder or a de-gene-rate. Due to this choice, he is subjecting himself to unknown punishment and exposing himself to a world of possibilities. He needs to work that much harder to conceal his true identity, but is unafraid of the enormity of his task. He did start to weep in one scene when he felt overwhelmed by his task. It is tiring to have to conceal your identity and spend time on getting rid of any trace of yourself while replacing it with someone else’s body matter. Nonetheless, Vincent keeps on trying and acts calmly through to the end when he knows he has no chance but give his urine without Eugene/Jerome’s help. He sees freedom in the stars and is unwilling to give up that dream because it symbolizes freedom for him. (It is the only escape from his society. He is rebelling to go somewhere where he does not have to rebel.)
“They [Maria and Anton Freeman] put off having any more children until they could afford not to gamble - to bring a child into the world in what has become the “natural” way.”
Vincent’s father appears disheartened by Vincent’s genetics and there is an urgency to satisfy his need for a worthy son. Vincent seems deeply hurt and feels the need to prove himself. He does not internalize the way his father feels about him, but he does recognize his father is disappointed in him. He would develop an envy for his brother, but also pursued his own interests. Not only is he distanced from the Valids, but he is secluded in his own family. He does not have a home and does not belong. Therefore, he wants to leave planet earth and crave for life in the stars. Although he knows nothing about life out there, he imagines it to be better. He hopes to escape to some other world. He believes anything to be better than life on earth because even at Gattaca, he is not truly happy and still does not belong. He realizes he will always need to pretend, but can never be himself. He hesitates to leave when he develops a relationship with Irene Cassini because he feels the love and sense of belonging he has not felt ever
Conclusion
Restatement of original thesis:
Key analysis:
Compelling/thought-provoking statement about the human condition:
Many scientists, ethicists and other scholars resoundingly reject technological applications that would greatly exacerbate our already shameful socioeconomic disparities. In opinion surveys about designer-baby technologies very large majorities say they are opposed. And every country in the world that has adopted laws or policies about cloning or genetically redesigning children -- more than thirty six nations -- has opted to forgo them.
Realistic unease that the new technologies of human bio-engineering trigger
Unable to balance progress and human need, and unable to control our own technology, we may be forced to give up more than we imagine. (Bloom, 22)
Similarities to differences: 1 section - similarities, 1 section - differences
Block: 1 section - novel only, 2nd section - film
Point-by-point: 1 topic - novel and film
The opposing perspectives of a highly engineered future are due to appreciation for the individual spirit. Spirit: courage, tenacity, commitment, alignment with principle , demonstration of excellence, honour, respect, humility [difference between victory and defeat]
unseen essence, expression varies with the situation, the essence itself never changes and is vital
when we lose our spirit, we die, Spirit equates with life, the energy of life itself can be termed with life, the aliveness [life energy] that sustains life, lack of that leads to life. Dispirited: dejected, defeated, hopeless
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