How Is Gattaca Related To Genetic Engineering

In the movie, Gattaca, there are countless of advantages and disadvantages to having a society like that portrayed in the movie. As for the advantages, the people in the movie was genetically superior therefore they had no sign of bad genes. They are absent for addiction of drugs, alcoholism, and diseases. They have better health, longer life span, and was built with a “better” body. Genetically engineered people also have a higher IQ and other intelligence factors that are included. Having a society like this will result in your family/child receiving a better life, and a better chance of having a successful life in the future. Parents would not have to worry about any sudden deaths or diseases affecting their child because everything in their life was predicted when they were going through the preimplantation genetic diagnosis process. Since their genes was manipulated, they are being born with “good genes” therefore as mentioned above, they have a higher chance of having a triumphant job and leading a successful life.

In the film Gattaca, Vincent states “I belonged to a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the color of your skin.” Vincent is referring to a new form of discrimination called “Genoism”. Genoism is defined as the discrimination against someone due to their genetic traits Those with inferior genetic traits are known as Invalids.

Ethically this could make many people happy and live better lives knowing that they won’t have to worry about as many diseases and the fact the they will live a long healthy life but this could also make make all the people that aren't modified sad because they have to live normal lives and will be seen as the superior people because the are more prone to diseases and other health issues. Just like Vincent Freeman he wasn’t allowed to go to certain schools and get his dream job just because he wasn’t genetically modified as a

Living up to one’s full potential may not seem easy, but with genetic help, life might not be so difficult after all. Vincent Anton Freeman is living in a society where people are genetically modified to be the best versions of their parents. With a dream to travel in space, Vincent impersonates a disabled “valid” in order to chase this dream. The movie Gattaca directed by Andrew Niccol shows how Vincent, Lamar, Jerome, and Irene are unorthodox by breaking the societal rules of what a particular invalid could or should do.

In the movies, Gattaca, director Andrew Niccol portrays a genetically based society in a scientifically advance world that twirls around the main idea and concept about genetic engineering to produce flawless genetics for a parent’s child. This main focus is shown upon Anton and his brother Vincent. Vincent, being the first born between Anton and him, gave the doctors an idea of what is going to happen in the future for Vincent based off of genetics and also gives parents the opportunity to make a flawless child base off of Vincent’s DNA as this society wants only genetically perfect humans to be superior. Children such as Vincent, being the first born, are set up for a life of disaster and of no use in their life other than for the lowest of all jobs this society has for first born. Even though Vincent is the first born, and in this civilization your resume “is in your cells”, Vincent’s identity can be reported after any DNA testing. Vincent’s desire is to go out into space along with the superior humans, but in order to do this he must get bypass all test to save his identity for exposure in order to achieve his dream causing him to go to great lengths. Vincent does this all based off of motivation. Vincent does achieve his goal and goes to space after all his determination even though his identity was a hair from detection; Vincent keeps on going and wasn’t going to stop until he was caught. This goes to prove that even though non-genetically altered humans still have

Human’s were not meant to be perfect in the first place. We are all made different and in his likeness. When we find out that humans have found a way to generate “perfect” babies it is difficult not to think of this quote, “Consider God’s handiwork: Who can straighten what He hath made crooked?” This is a rhetorical question, but in Gattaca genetic screening and the making of perfect babies have replaced God’s children. In the movie they created all these so-call “perfect people,” but if you were made the natural way, leaving it up to God you were “crooked”. This specifically connects to Vincent being an in valid. He is a crooked or an in valid and those who are perfect are valid. Humans can try to play God, but is it right? It doesn’t always work either. Irene was meant to be perfect, but she had a heart condition that would never allow her to go into space. Jerome was also supposed to be perfect, but he still came in second in the Olympics. Notice how Vincent was a child of God, not perfect in anyway, but he worked for what he wanted. He had the determination and the drive to succeed more then anyone in the world. He went to extreme measures to follow his dream. Ironically, this child of God was the only one who came out on top. Vincent gets to fulfill his dream of going into space while those who were made perfect are left miserable on earth. Irene continues to work at the space station never getting a chance to actually go in space. Jerome so upset with himself,

The impact of human genetic engineering on the workplace is negative. With genetic engineering, humans have the ability to give their children the best traits. They can create children who have the traits to be able at any job they want. However, for the children who were born naturally and were not genetically engineered, they can face discrimination for their genes because they supposedly are not good enough for the job. In the movie Gattaca, the invalids, people who are not genetically engineered, are shown to have jobs that the valids, people who are genetically engineered, do not want. The main character Vincent, an invalid, was only able to obtain a job as a janitor even though he could succeed in other jobs higher up on the hierarchy.

Throughout the film, every character considered as a valid goes through various tests to ensure they are whom they claim. As employees enter Gattaca each day, their thumbs are pricked for a blood sample to ensure that their DNA has not been mutated, and to check if they are as healthy and as worthy as when they were first hired. One of the main characters Vincent Freeman is used to prove that anything is possible even though he is an invalid. As the story progresses, Vincent does not let his genes define who he really is. He had a “99% chance of heart disorder”, and he was thought to live until the age of 30.2.

As health and wellness becomes more like an arms race to acquire everything necessary to live a long life, there is one thing that an individual cannot simply change, and that is genetics. However, in the future, parents would be able to pick and choose which genes that their offspring would express, creating so-called “designer babies”. This concept is explored in the 1997 film Gattaca. The film describes a world in which the more successful people are those that were genetically picked for, and those that were conceived naturally face setbacks and de-facto discrimination (Niccol, 1997). The film follows the main character Vincent, a naturally conceived person, as he assumes a new identity and ends up becoming an astronaut (Niccol, 1997). The film embraces topics discussed in the class, mostly technology used when it comes to health, as it is the key goal in a society like this, as well as security and surveillance, in which genetics is used as a way to keep track of the populous.

In Gattaca, Andrew Niccol confronts us, through Vincent's struggles, with a utopian society of humans whose lives were based solely on their genetic constitution. The Gattaca society was portrayed as a modern, liberal, and industrialized society where the use of genetic engineering was offered as a personal service to couples so they may choose their offspring traits. The use of genetic engineering was voluntary and not a state-directed or mandated

Andrew Niccol’s, Gattaca, shines light on our possibly not so bright future. The film is based off genetic engineering and its effects on society. When a couple wants a child, they head to the clinic with their list of preferences. The fetus is then altered to meet these preferences. Society is now classified into groups: the “valids” and “invalids” – basically a caste system. The movie focuses in on an “invalid” named Vincent Freeman, and how his genetics hold him back from achieving his dreams. Vincent dreams of space travel, something someone of his caste would normally never experience. Although with perseverance and the help of loyal friends Vincent is able to fight for a chance of reaching his dreams.

Gattaca is set at some point within our near future. In this future, eugenics play a major role in determining one’s status, with DNA determining one’s social class. The movie’s main character is Vincent Freeman, who was born via natural conception. His genes indicated several defects, specifically with his heart, and estimated he would live no more than 30 years. Vincent’s brother, Anton, however, was a result of genetic selection. Vincent has always dreamed of space travel, but must work as an in-valid due to his genetic origins. While working in the aerospace company Gattaca as a janitor, he is offered the chance to post as a valid, using the genes of one Jerome Morrow. Thanks to his disguise, he is able to pass frequent gene tests that the

Gattaca brought about some interesting points on human evolution and human ingenuity. We live in a world where babies are left to chance and genetic metaling is frowned upon, but in Gattaca that idea is flipped. Society judges those who are left to God as inferior. How can one be judged for the decision of their parents? Science is moving into uncharted territory, where we might be able to create “super humans” as depicted in the movie. Gattaca revealed both the pros and cons of genetic engineering in science.

Gattaca is set in the future when eugenics has become the standard for creating human life. The plot portrays the challenges, mainly genetic discrimination, Vincent Freeman faces to become the astronaut he dreams of since he is an “in-valid” or someone who was conceived naturally, without the influence of genetic engineering. To reach his life goal of completing space missions, Vincent seeks out the help of a man employed in the newly developed private sector specializing in providing people with an alternative, preferred genetic backgrounds. He is paired with Jerome Morrow, a former swimming star who was paralyzed due to a car accident and a genetic elite. Vincent undergoes extensive physical procedures to obtain Jerome’s outward appearance and Jerome prepares samples of hair and skin follicles, blood, and urine. Armed with his, or Jerome’s, superior genetic qualification, Vincent is able to work at the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, quickly rises up the ranks, and is scheduled for a mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.

One of the biggest pictures that are against genetic engineering is that humans are not supposed to play the role of God. DNA is a unique thing to every person. Bioengineering itself involves the very technical aspects of modification, and the enhancement of stem cells or DNA and this process can change the human structure. “The progress of civilization has been having been largely dependent upon the out ‘interference with nature’.”(Encyclopedia of Applied Plant Sciences).