Preview

Gattaca

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
594 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Gattaca
The ethical issues presented in Gattaca are ethical egoism, psychological egoism, sacrifice and the possibilities of radical perfection. It challenged the worthiness of the consequences of extreme self serving efforts; to take risks; to do the impossible despite public opinion. These ethical issues are based on the main character, Vincent. He uses these ideologies to achieve his goal of perfection, defying the constant disapproval of his parents which alienated him as a child.

The ethical context is shown in Vincent's relationships with other characters, such as Irene, Jerome, his brother Anton and his parents. It is shown through the negative or positive consequences of his morality that has affected his relationships. For example, when Irene finds out that Vincent has been lying about his identity, he seems to show remorse. But it is not clear whether it is remorse or a desire to retrieve his pride- to have the audacity to lie about your identity it is assumed that you are a narcissist- narcissists typically do not feel remorse, but damage of their pride. However, his narcissism is to his advantage as he also had the audacity to prove the impossible possible, especially to his parents. But his striving to discover his limits, the limits of the universe were not without sacrifice, another moral issue. He sacrificed almost all of his life to proving he could be the best; but this did not come without consequences. His parents disliked him because they found it irritating. His father said "the only way you'll see the inside of a spaceship is if you're cleaning it; stop dreaming". He proved this statement wrong at the end of the movie, when he is in the spaceship. He proved the impossible by taking risks. The message is, "you can do anything".

A first response to Vincent was as a child and teenager, he was alienated. He was alienated because he was illegitimate to his parents. The relationship between him and his parents was obvious ever since he was born;

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Vincent's flaws are seen as a restriction on him from the moment he is born. The audience sees this through the nurse's proclamation that his "early fatal potential" is at "ninety seven percent probability." The stigma attached to such a condition is shown when his father refuses to give Vincent. his own name, demonstrating effectively how his inferiority results in him being abandoned from the outset of his life. These events are indicative of the stigma attached to the notion of being an ‘INVALID' in this "not too distant" future. However, what this synthetic and artificial world in Gattaca fails to account for is the strength of the human spirit, which relates to the concept of "nature" and the emotions that define people what make people human, even in the face of their perceived shortcomings. Vincent makes the assertion that "they've got you looking so hard for any flaw, after a while that's all you see." This is perhaps the most telling aspect of the ‘superior' society which reinforces the idea that the future has become little more than an emotionless, mechanical system, and that in the manufacturing of a ‘better world' has lost sight of what is truly important.…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Vincent buys DNA from someone who is genetically superior and passes himself off as a "valid." He is ultimately granted his chance to live his dream when the doctor in charge of genetic screenings fakes his genetic validity because he wants to see if Vincent can go beyond his physical limitations.…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In this section you must identify as many OTHER ethical issues, questions, or problems as you can find in the scenario. Distinguish the central issue from the others you identified. Use details and examples to explain your response. Be sure to use the central issue - What should Augustine do ?-as the central issue - throughout the rest…

    • 1254 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gattaca and 1984

    • 536 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gattaca, directed by Andrew Niccol, shows a story of a society where life is controlled by genetics, rather than education or experiences. Based on your DNA, society determines where you belong, and your future. This allows no room for people to gain experiences and to grow, as they are confined to a specific lifestyle. It is evident however in the film that Vincent tries to violate societies’ structure, by playing the role of a navigator, using his blood samples and urine. George Orwell, the author of 1984, shows a similar concept, where life is controlled by the Party and where the main character, Winston, tries to defy the Party. Although it is obvious that both works have a dystopian society, the societies within it struggle to achieve a utopian society instead. Through its intense depiction of struggles to fit in and altering way of life to be accepted in society, Gattaca has enhanced the understanding of the impact that surveillance has in 1984 and how it has limited the people to prosper in life within society.…

    • 536 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Gattaca Comparison

    • 2396 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Nineteen eighty four is a science-fiction novel written by Orwell in 1949 and illustrates the perception of the impending future as to what he anticipated, similarly the 1997 science-fiction film Gattaca is director Niccol’s apparition of the future.…

    • 2396 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gattaca essay

    • 790 Words
    • 3 Pages

    From the moment Vincent was born he was faced with a list of negative problems he would have to overcome in the future: “ADHD, manic depression, heart failure, and an early fatal potential of 30.2 years”. Those unfortunate enough to be born as an INVALID citizen were automatically assumed to be worthless and were never given the opportunity or choice to reach their true potential or even think that they had the capability to do so. For Vincent, life became more and more difficult as he got older; he was refused the right to enter kindergarten, and every job he tried to get he was immediately rebuffed after a DNA test was taken. Vincent had his heart set on travelling through space and becoming an astronaut but was laughed at and consistently put down by even his own father who said “Son, the only time you’re going to see the inside of a spaceship is if you’re cleaning it . Anton was always favoured over Vincent as he was ‘superior’ to him in many ways; he was stronger, taller, a better athlete this is a good example of how much of a minor thing such as someone’s DNA can have such a huge impact on society.…

    • 790 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    A moral dilemma entails a choice between two highly conflicting values, where the decision made may result in guilt and remorse. As responders we are able to assess our own values in regards to the character’s actions. These characteristics are present in the texts Montana 1948 by Larry Watson 1993, The Returning by Daniel De Paola 1964 and Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby 2004. I personally have been influenced to assess my own values towards family ties, justice and the balance between right and wrong.…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Gattaca Themes

    • 3901 Words
    • 16 Pages

    The texts "Scales Of Justice" and "Gattaca" are two texts which allow the reader to witness a variety of interpretations and explore the relevant issues that are visible within contemporary society. Such issues as corruption within the police force, racism, sexual harassment, discrimination and manipulation of power are shown to give different interpretations of issues which plague today's society and potentially our future.…

    • 3901 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Themes In Gattaca

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Vincent goes as far to "dispose of as much loose skin, fingernails and hairs as possible, to limit how much of [his] in-valid self [would be] left in the valid world." In another instance,Vincent travels with Irene, a female co-worker, when she insists that he accompany her for a surprise. Despite being blinded without contacts, Vincent risks crossing a dark busy roadway after Irene. In this moment, Vincent is again willing to venture into great depths to protect his identity and to pursue his dreams. Human will, especially in Vincent's case, affirms stronger than genetics. Vincent is able to overcome discrimination and deceive Gattaca administrators, convincing them of his greatness. He receives validation when his director compliments his hard work saying, "Not one error in a million keystrokes. Phenomenal. It's right that someone like you is taking us to Titan." Again, the film argues on behalf of human nature; people are whom they desire to be.…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "The picture of Dorian Gray" is morality, and how it can be influenced. The main characters in C.…

    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gattaca

    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This occurs, in my opinion, only to keep less intelligent viewers interested in the story, which contains enough pathos to warrant me watching it if it didn't involve a murder at all. As Vincent tried to keep his secret, he is falling in love with Irene Cassini, another worker at Gattaca, the story’s equivalent of Cape Canaveral. The panic caused by the moment causes each person involve to examine themselves, society, and the state of the world.…

    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gattaca

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Searching for stem cell news on the internet reveals a never-ending amount of pages with web sites about breakthroughs in stem-cell research. Such articles included potential cures to diabetes, Parkinson's, leukemia, and various forms of cancer. This research could potentially lead to these terrible diseases' near end. In Andrew Niccol's Gattaca, a society is portrayed where there are no diseases due to advanced genetic engineering. This movie, based in the future, depicts couples that are able to basically hand-pick a perfect child. While modern technology has not evolved near as far as in Gattaca, stem-cell research is on the verge of creating a way to counter vicious diseases.…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The ethical value that I believe is best illustrated by the movie is Consequentualism because it states that consequences of an action are the ultimate deciding factor in whether or not an action is ethical. In the movie the belief that the amount that could be learned from the extinct species that were on the island far outweighed the problems of bringing back a species that natural selection had removed.…

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gattaca

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Being a ‘god-child’, Vincent’s genes were defective in many aspects and he too was classified as an ‘invalid’. He was a person who would never get a chance in life and this was evident ever since his childhood. His parents in favour of Anton, their superior son, overlooked him. He wasn’t given a fair opportunity at employment. His dreams of becoming an astronaut was thought by all to be just that, a dream. The only thing that separated him from the other invalids was his phenominal motivation to reach his goals and a strong and stubborn will to match. Therefore, even with genes that predicted a 99% chance of heart problems, he made this impossible dream a reality, with nothing more than sheer determination and a bit of…

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The movie “Henry’s daughters” reflects a big amount of ethical issues at individual and societal level. Sorted by importance and the impacting level, the following list shows the highlighted ethical issues based on my perception.…

    • 777 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays