Preview

Genetic Modification In Gattaca

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1404 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Genetic Modification In Gattaca
Gattaca is a very interesting film that sheds light on the possible future of humanity, when it comes to genetic manipulation. The entire plot of the film revolves around a society that is primarily centered on the need for superior genes. Every child in the film, apart from the protagonist, Vincent Freeman, is born in the eugenics program. This program is purposely structured to manipulate the genetic composition of children to guarantee that they only inherit a specific set of desirable traits from their parents. The film portrays the struggles that Freeman is forced to endure as he attempts his dreams of exploring space in a highly discriminative society where only the genetically perfect human beings survive. It represents the extremes …show more content…
Just like any other medical procedures there are a variety of risks that can interfere with a successful genetic modification procedure. To begin with this procedure can result in unpredictable responses from the immune system of the embryo. Genetic modification requires the introduction of a virus into the targeted cells. This process can go wrong if the wrong cells are targeted and the virus reacts negatively with the host cells. It may cause infections that can lead to further complications. There are situations where tumors develop as a result of the genetic modification process (Mayo Clinic Therapy, 2016). All of these risks greatly undermine the viability of genetic modification, especially since a lot of trials have to be conducted before a successful modification can be made. It is highly unethical to experiment with human genes because of the reasons that these risks have on the end results. Many human beings can be subjected to avoidable medical conditions in the future because of the genetic modification practices conducted on them. In Gattaca, the human beings born outside the eugenics program were viewed as insignificant. The quest for perfection when it comes to genetic modification meant that members of the society in the film had to live with these risks to be
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Gattac Movie Analysis
    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gattac Movie Analysis

    The movie Gattaca starts with the birth of Vincent Anton Freeman whose genetics show him to be prone to many disorders. He is given an estimated life span of just above thirty years to live. Vincent’s parents then decide to use genetic selection to give birth to another child whom they name Anton. As boys, Anton and Vincent play “chicken.” They swim until one of them gives up and loses. Vincent never wins. His dream is to go up in space, but as an in-valid (not genetically selected) he does not stand a chance.…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Genetic Engineering In The Film 'Gattaca' By Andrew Niccol
    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Genetic Engineering In The Film 'Gattaca' By Andrew Niccol

    The film Gattaca, by Andrew Niccol presents a story centered on the future prospects of genetic engineering and its controversial affects on human society. The film depicts a future, in which wealthy families can create perfected children, a factor that has divided Gattaca's society into different classes based on genetic traits. Andrew Niccol, who wrote and directed Gattaca, was aiming to break in to the movie world. It follows the life story of Vincent Freeman and his ambition to become a Navigator astronaut at Gattaca, the Space Corporation.…

    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gattaca Film Analysis
    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Gattaca Film Analysis

    Gattaca (1997) is a film directed by Andrew Niccol that is based on the Science of Genetic discrimination. A world in which scientific proof becomes the complete basis for discrimination. While society holds it as a truth, genes are a primary factor that determine the success of an individual. The film revolves around the Protagonist Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), and his struggle to achieve what he has worked his entire life to get to, but is unable, due to his “In-Valid” status. He is ignored and excluded from most aspects of society. His life is limited to the ‘second best’ option.…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gattaca Genetic Engineering
    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gattaca Genetic Engineering

    The film's title is based on the letters G, A, T, and C, which stand for guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine, the four nucleobases of DNA. Vincent Anton Freeman is the protagonist of Gattaca. He, unlike most of his generation, was conceived without genetic selection, and is therefore at risk for many disorders and has a shortened life expectancy. Vincent dreams of becoming an astronaut, but knows his genetic inferiority makes this dream almost unattainable. He therefore does the only thing he can think of that will help him attain this dream: posing as a different individual with a better genotype.…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing Gattaca And Brave New World
    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Comparing Gattaca And Brave New World

    Gattaca, a movie released in 1997, is about potential children being selected through preimplantation genetic diagnosis to ensure they carry the best hereditary traits of their parents. A genetic registry database uses biometrics to instantly identify and classify those created as "valids" while those that carry traditional means are known as "in-valids". This movie easily corresponds with the use of science and technology in today’s world. Many probably didn’t think much of this movie, just as they didn’t with the Aldous Huxley’s Novel Brave New World, which is based on a very similar dystopian future. The societies in the novel and movie are considered “perfect” worlds with their genetic engineering, young people and drugs, and human conditioning. This sounds shockingly similar to what America may be becoming.…

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Examples Of Genetic Manipulation In Gattaca
    • 2232 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Examples Of Genetic Manipulation In Gattaca

    However, genetic manipulation is still a slippery slope for more trivial “improvements”. The people in the film did not stop at eliminating harmful diseases but they also started altering things like muscle mass, intelligence, personality traits, hair color and this is when eugenics becomes problematic. Like the society in Gattaca, we could be at risk of becoming a superficial society obsessed with perfection. For example Eugene Marrow, the man Vincent borrows his DNA samples from in order to pose as a valid was obsessed with perfection. Marrow was genetically engineered to be a winning swimmer, his entire existence was dedicated to swimming and yet he still wasn’t good enough. Eventually, we came across someone who was as better swimmer than him and he received a silver metal. Marrow began to feel useless, he was genetically perfect and yet he was not, so he attempted to kill himself by running in front of a car. He failed, survived and as a result was paralyzed from the waist down. Marrow became even more depressed, he found some use in helping Vincent but in the end, he killed himself because even though he was genetically engineered to be the “best” but he was not and thus a failure. By meeting Vincent, an invalid who was far more qualified to do great things despite his genetical disadvantages, made Marrow realize that genetic manipulation is not what makes you the “best”. Perhaps it gives you an advantage, which why Marrow decided to give Vincent, his DNA samples but that is not was Vincent eventually became an astronaut, he became one based on his own natural merit. Eugenics is about “improving” individuals but Marrow is an example Gattaca suggests that Eugenics become problematic when we stop…

    • 2232 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gattaca Biology Connection
    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gattaca Biology Connection

    This movie relates to what we learned in class in one main way. The whole movie is about DNA sequences. In class we learned about DNA and what it is. Also the movie title “GATTACA” is made up…

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gattaca Genetic Manipulation
    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gattaca Genetic Manipulation

    Gattaca has released in 1997 in the United States. The film was written and also directed by Andrew Niccol. It is a science fiction movie. Science fiction genre is about science and fiction developments may be at ‘‘not too distant’’ future that may come true. In this genre, it is not about incredible events, it is representing partially similar things from now.…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    An Essay On The Movie Gattaca
    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages

    An Essay On The Movie Gattaca

    GATTACA, a movie representing the flaws in the human code and having the option to have the perfect human being, takes place in a dystopian genre where the director Andrew Niccol takes our interpretation of the world and makes it a perfect society in the movie. The main character Vincent Freeman has always fantasized about traveling into outer space, but is grounded by his status as an "in-valid". He is told in the beginning of his life that he will only live upto the age of 30 causing him to be an invalid, which is the government's idea of not a perfect human being. He decides to fight his fate by purchasing the genes of Jerome Morrow, a laboratory-engineered "valid." He assumes Jerome's DNA identity and joins the Gattaca space program.…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Gattaca Demonstrate The Use Of Biotechnology
    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does Gattaca Demonstrate The Use Of Biotechnology

    Gattaca Essay Science fiction films such as Gattaca are able to significantly demonstrate the potential of biotechnology to create unjust implications on the social order of modern society. Niccol, the director of Gattaca, draws upon the advances of biotechnology to highlight the need for certain prohibitions against genetic engineering to prevent societies strongly manipulated by science and individuals divided by classism from genetic discrimination. This idea is paralleled to genetic testing, a modern biotechnology that analyses an individual’s genetics for variations within their chromosomes, genes or proteins, to confirm or dismiss a suspected genetic condition. There are many forms of genetic testing available, though they are only…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gattaca Genetic Engineering
    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gattaca Genetic Engineering

    "They used to say that a child conceived in love has a greater chance of happiness. They don't say that anymore." The sci-fi, thriller Gattaca was written and directed by Andrew Niccolin in 1997. The name, Gattaca, is composed of the letters used to label the nucleotide bases of DNA. Overall, the movie is about a genetically inferior man, or invalid, who buys the identity of a superior one, or valid, in order to pursue his life long dream of working at Gattaca and going into space. According to the movie, Gattaca, genetic engineering should not be used because it leads to sibling rivalry, the burden of perfection, and genetic determinism.…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Genetic Potential In Gattaca
    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Genetic Potential In Gattaca

    Gattaca challenges the wisdom allowing genetic potential determined from birth to decide the future of an individual?…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Genetics In The Movie Gattaca
    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Genetics In The Movie Gattaca

    Genetics is an intellectual interest of mine. I was first attracted to genetics by a documentary about Neanderthals. Although the documentary itself wasn't on genetics, it mentioned how some humans have a percentage of Neanderthal genes in them. I found this incredibly interesting that our genes could be traced back in history. I was further interesting about genetics was that one could have genetic mutations. This led me to wonder if maybe there are people in the world with genetic mutations that made them something similar to the mutants in X-Men. There are so many possibilities with genes that I want to discover. In the movie Gattaca, there are babies that are designed by manipulating their genes to the whims of their parents. I was amazed…

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gattaca Shows Us the Dangers of Uncontrolled Technology.
    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Gattaca Shows Us the Dangers of Uncontrolled Technology.

    In the ‘not-to-distant future’, the world of Gattaca is where genetic engineering has become the normal approach to procreation. Gattaca’s society involves a culture of self-advancement through genetic determinisms, a caste system of valid and in-valids and social discrimination based on ‘genoism’. This sterile and cold society of elitist collaborations like Gattaca promotes competition, isolation and discrimination. This is something that is dangerous to individuals and relationships and shows an arrogant belief to the world of science. Despite this hierarchical world it isn’t the technology that stands alone as dangerous to individuals, instead it is the human sprit or lack of it and the desire one has to reach their dreams that have an innate effect on ones future.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Genetic Modification In The Media
    • 142 Words
    • 1 Page

    Genetic Modification In The Media

    Genetic modification is a “reoccurring motif”. It is seen in superhero movies, such as Captain America and The Incredible Hulk or in the food industry, like advertising and news media. They are given both a positive and negative impression. In other word, depending how it is used, it can both save or hurt society. When genetic modifying is seen in the media, it evokes a shock or “moral” emotion. Therefore, impacting discussion by bringing up the topic, however, these discussion tend to be “emotional” biasing on the media they have watch. As previously stated, movies like The Incredible Hulk and Captain America: The First Avenger are movies that question how genetic modifying would be used- benefiting or hurting society- but are tend to be seen…

    • 142 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics