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 given 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, 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 Morrow 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. In GATTACA, institutionalized discrimination has resulted in the loss of the individual spirit.
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 class structure
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 his black market DNA dealer arranged a meeting between Eugene Morrow and himself, he was able to pass as a Valid and a genetically perfect one (Kirby, 2000).
There is no gene for the human spirit fool the genetic hierarchy's enforcers
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”
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 and 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.” (Huxley, 89)
The genetically unenhanced Vincent is actually a superior human being, able to excel physically and socially despite his built-in "flaws."
“They [his parents] 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 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 (Kirby, 2000). 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 is still an outsider (Darnovsky, 2008). He realizes he will always need to pretend, but can never be himself.
The 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 (Kakmi, 2000). The citizens seem to believe that genes determine one’s potential (Kirby, 2000). 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. 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, 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” (Niccol, 1997), 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 enslaved to his natural birth and genetic destiny. Vincent’s trip out of Gattaca is a prime example that genetics cannot predetermine destiny, it is just probable, and thus, it is possible to fight it. Vincent willed himself to become “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” (Niccol, 1997). 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 after waking up from a night of detectives chasing him (Niccol, 1997). It becomes tiresome for Vincent to conceal his identity and dedicate time to getting rid of any trace of him 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 an already prepared urine sample. He sees freedom in the stars and is unwilling to give up that dream because it symbolizes freedom for him. It is his only escape from Gattaca. The genetically unenhanced Vincent is actually a superior human being, able to excel physically and socially despite his built-in "flaws."Meanwhile, Brave New World’s plot centres on Bernard whose thinking which is reflective of human nature. Initially, he appears to hate societal norms, but once people pay attention to him, he conforms. In his weakness and confusion Bernard suggests a tragic Everyman figure as he is unable to make a moral choice (Bloom, 23) while attempting to control his own destiny. Bernard’s visit to the Savage Reservation to look for some clue to a more meaningful existence is not successful as he “fails to find happiness” (Bloom, 24). While Vincent buries himself in his books, Bernard takes soma to overcome what he cannot achieve by will (Bloom, 19). For both Vincent and Bernard, the purpose of life is not the maintenance of well-being, but “some intensification and refining of consciousness, some enlargement of knowledge” (Bloom, 29). However, the societies of Gattaca and Brave New World promote social order and decrease the value of individual freedom. This idea is best described in this hypnopaedic phrase, “when the individual feels, the community reels.” (Huxley, 89) When Bernard brings John the Savage to the World State from the Savage Reservation, John is troubled by it. Eventually John kills himself and in doing so, represents the lack of will to survive in Brave New World.
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