Gattaca Belonging Analysis
‘Belonging’ is a literary trope relevant to all types and genres of publication and film. Perceptions that affect belonging can be determined by oneself: by intrinsic flaws and attributes, by choices made by the individual, by the individual’s physical and emotional potential to belong and by society as a whole. However, these perceptions can be altered by physical and/or emotional barriers placed upon the individual. Through a comprehensive study of the poetic works of Emily Dickinson, the novel Candide by Voltaire and Gattaca, a film directed by Andrew Niccol, I have come to learn that an individual can belong or not belong as a result of various different factors. Such as belong through interests and the forging of relationships through
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Dickinson demonstrated this through in her poem ‘I gave myself to him…” to articulate to society that she wished not to conform to society’s expectation to get married. She uses financial and trading jargon such as “Cargo” and “Buy” suggesting that a transaction is taking place when depicting the foundations of the sacred union of marriage. She described what may be sexual encounters with as husband as “debt” which connotes a negative feeling towards such undertakings. This debt was “insolvent every noon” suggesting that it is dissolved every night before dawn. This is also demonstrated in Gattaca where the protagonist goes to extraordinary lengths to belong, even though he promises to give the effort 110% he is told “that’ll[would] only get [him] half way there” suggesting that it would be difficult to attain any sense of belonging. This concept is also explored in Candide where Candide, an impressionable and naïve young boy is expelled from the castle of Westphalia for “touching the lips” of Cunegonde. He changes his beliefs to align them with whichever institution he affiliated himself with at any given point in the story, for instance when he drinks to the health of the Bulgarian king, and to drink to his health “is sufficient”, in the midst of a war between Germany and Bulgaria. He does however choose not to belong when he leaves the paradise of Eldorado because of its Utopian
Dickinson demonstrated this through in her poem ‘I gave myself to him…” to articulate to society that she wished not to conform to society’s expectation to get married. She uses financial and trading jargon such as “Cargo” and “Buy” suggesting that a transaction is taking place when depicting the foundations of the sacred union of marriage. She described what may be sexual encounters with as husband as “debt” which connotes a negative feeling towards such undertakings. This debt was “insolvent every noon” suggesting that it is dissolved every night before dawn. This is also demonstrated in Gattaca where the protagonist goes to extraordinary lengths to belong, even though he promises to give the effort 110% he is told “that’ll[would] only get [him] half way there” suggesting that it would be difficult to attain any sense of belonging. This concept is also explored in Candide where Candide, an impressionable and naïve young boy is expelled from the castle of Westphalia for “touching the lips” of Cunegonde. He changes his beliefs to align them with whichever institution he affiliated himself with at any given point in the story, for instance when he drinks to the health of the Bulgarian king, and to drink to his health “is sufficient”, in the midst of a war between Germany and Bulgaria. He does however choose not to belong when he leaves the paradise of Eldorado because of its Utopian