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Minor Characters In The Film Gattaca, By Andrew Niccol

Decent Essays

In the movie Gattaca, Andrew Niccol presents the idea that though being at odds with society’s values involves risk, complying with those values can also be also harmful. Niccol explores this idea through the use of characterisation. Through Vincent's story, he shows both the inherent dangers associated with going against societal views, but also the rewards that can come as a result. The character contrast between Vincent and Anton further builds on this idea, with Vincent’s victory over his brother demonstrating the dangers of compliance with society’s views on genetic superiority. Finally, Niccol uses the actions of minor characters to show the damages that can come as a result of this compliance. These dangers are demonstrated through Irene’s acceptance of her genetic limitations and in Eugene's suicide. …show more content…

A “degenerate”, his “real resume was in [his] cells” and genetic code, preventing him from pursuing his dreams to be an astronaut. Regardless of how hard he worked, “the best test score in the world wasn’t going to matter, unless [he] had the blood test to go with it”. Instead of complying with society’s views and seeing himself as “chronically ill” , Vincent instead worked hard against the expectations given to him by society, proving that “there‘s not a gene for fate” and demonstrating that while his life would always be full of risks, the rewards he found through pursuing his dreams were far greater. In this, Niccol demonstrates how limiting life can be if people simply comply with what society expects of

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