Social Issues in “Gattaca” by Andrew Niccoland

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Family Violence
Social Class
Socialization
Societal conflict
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Gattaca is an American science fiction movie that was produced in 1997, focusing on eugenics where reproduction is done by customization of genes in order to produce offsprings with the most favorable characteristics or traits derived from their parents. The movie is directed by Andrew Niccoland the theme revolves around Ethan Hawke who is born with genetic disorders and struggles to overcome genetic discrimination so that he can realize his dream of flying to space (Pope and McRoberts, 2003). This paper will discuss social issues illustrated in the movie including family violence, social class, socialization, and societal conflict.

Family Violence

Family violence is witnessed between two brothers, Vincent and Anton, who were born with different genetic makeup. In the movie, for example, rivalry emerges between the two brothers when playing their favorite game “chicken” where Anton would always emerge as the winner. The reason for this violence is that Vincent was born with natural genetic makeup, where it showed that he possessed high chances of acquiring several disorders and his lifespan would be 30 years. On the other hand, Anton had superior genetic makeup and would always emerge as the favorite in most activities.This kind of violence is a result of differences in performance in various activities, which always result in jealous and bitterness. It always lowers the self-esteem of an individual for he sees himself as inferior (Hughes 2004).

In the movie, another family rivalry is witnessed in the case where Vincent was the main suspect in the killing of an administrator; and when Anton offered to help, Vincent asked him to stay away from his issues. This was due to different achievements in life between the two brothers, where Vincent felt he was more superior to his brother, therefore disregarding his support. Due to the persistent struggle that Vincent underwent to reach where he was, he felt anger that his brother had not undergone the same process but had achieved a lot in life too.

Different social classes are witnessed in the movie where a genetic registry database was used to classify people into two groups; those people conceived through natural means and were volatile to genetic disorders, and those conceived through genetic alternation. Here, people who were conceived through genetic alteration performed better than the ones conceived through natural means. In addition, the former were given better jobs and were viewed as professionals unlike their counterparts who were viewed as unable to perform. The disparities in social classes cause people never to realize their dream jobs in life, which causes social vices such as murder, rape, theft and other evil deeds. Others will go any extent to make sure they achieve their dream careers in the societies even if it means dying in the process. This shows how social pressure is pushing people to use genetics in order to enhance their identity and achievements (Bunton and Petersen, 2005).

Socialization

In the movie, various instances of socializations have been witnessed. For instance, Vincent met a co-worker called Irene Cassini in the investigation of the murder of an administrator where he befriended her so that she could help him in the investigation process where he was the main suspect. He later discovered that she had been born through genetic alteration but possessed high chances of acquiring heart attack. Another example is evident where Vincent becomes Jerome’s friend for quite sometime because he wanted samples of genetic makeup from him. This had helped him a lot to achieve his dream by being employed in the company as well as taking part in the mission. However, betrayal in their friendship is witnessed when Jerome promised to give Vincent his DNA sample, but gives him an envelope with only a strand of his hair instead. This illustrates that genuine relationships always lead to successful lives whereas deceptive interactions lead to pain and regret.

Societal conflict

The issue of conflicts in society is portrayed in various parts of the movie. This was illustrated when one ofthe company’s administrators was murdered one week before the scheduled trip. This incident shows conflict as a result of power greed among various employees in the in the company. When employees are in harmony with each other, many issues concerning conflict could be completely eliminated, making the company grow fast.

Another example in the movie involved Jerome who had unsuccessfully tried to kill himself because he had emerged second in a swimming competition. The incident shows how individuals in the society are dissatisfied with their achievements. Individuals should appreciate their own efforts to enable them attain higher goals. Later on, Jerome decides to burn himself up due to depression. The society should be able to provide support and help to people undergoing physical and psychological difficulties so that they can accept the consequences of their actions in life (Perkowitz, 2013).

Conclusion

The movie Gattaca demonstrates the extent to which society goes in trying to enhance its identity and hereditary traits through genetic manipulation. In addition, several social issues are illustrated including social conflict, social class, and family violence.

References

Bunton, Robin and Alan Petersen. 2005. Genetic Governance: Health, Risk and Ethics in a Biotech Era. NY: Routledge.

Hughes, James. 2004. Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future. MA: Westview Press.

Perkowitz, Seiler. 2013. Hollywood Science: Movies, Science, and the End of the World. NY: Columbia University Press.

Pope, Marcia and Richard McRoberts. 2003. Cambridge Wizard Student Guide Gattaca. Cambridge: Cambridge University press.

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