Shaira Razina E.

Tan Block 26-BS Nursing

The film Gattaca was all about how the genetic make-up of a person was used to
determine the class that they belong to in society. It was all about a man named Vincent Anton
Freeman who was born naturally and conceived with love and without being genetically
enhanced unlike his brother. Because he was not genetically enhanced, he was susceptible to
many health conditions like manic depression, attention deficit disorder, myopia and even heart
condition which hindered him in achieving his dream which was to travel to the stars. He was
even given a life expectancy of 30.2 years but even that did not stopped him from doing what he
wanted to do. Because of his want to get in to Gattaca and get a chance to travel to the stars, he
approached a man which helped him find a person with an excellent genetic make-up and that
person is Jerome Morrow. Jerome Morrow was a former swimming star who has an excellent
genetic make-up but despite this he only won silver medal. He then attempted to commit suicide
and was involved in a car accident outside the country which made him paralyzed.
The film started with Vincent assuming the identity of Jerome Morrow. He was
constantly brushing his body to remove any hair that would put himself in danger. He was also
injecting some blood into an artificial finger skin because in order to get in to Gattaca, they need
to be tested just to be sure that they really have an excellent genetic make-up and they are not
invalid. Then, when he was in Gattaca already, the character of Irene was introduced. He kept
on making his workstation clean and even put something in the keyboard and a piece of hair of
the real Jerome in the comb just to make sure that he will not get caught. Then, the murder of the
mission administrator happened. After that, Jeromes life as Vincent Anton Freeman was shown.
Vincent was conceived in Riviera in Detroit. He was always competing with his brother.
Without their parents knowing it, they always swim in the sea and compete and whoever turn
back first is weak and of course Vincent was always the first one to turn back because of his
condition. But when they were teenagers, as they were swimming out in the sea, his brother
drowned and he saved him. He then left home and started working as a janitor in Gattaca. After
that, he met up with the man that introduced him to the real Jerome Morrow.
To really make him look like the real Jerome, Vincent underwent a lot of things like the
surgery to increase his height, practices to make his right hand dominant instead of his left and
he even had contact lenses to match Jeromes eyes. He can use Jeromes blood, urine samples to
pass any tests but he needs to take precaution so as not to get caught. When the mission director
was murdered, Vincents eyelash was found and the investigators assumed that hes the murderer.
He needed to take extra precautions since his mission launch date was near and he then had a
relationship with Irene.
After numerous investigations, it was found that Director Josef was the murderer. Then,
Jerome was confronted by his brother Anton, a detective, and asked Jerome to stop what he was
doing and go with him but Anton was acting like out of insecurity. Then they compete again in
the ocean and Anton drowned again and was saved by Jerome. Then, as the day of the launch
arrived, the real Jerome told Vincent that he has stored his samples for Vincent that would last 2
lifetimes.
Vincent thanked him for lending his identity and he also thanked Vincent for lending his dream.
As he went to Gattaca, he was stopped with a urine test and Vincent has none of Jeromes
genetic material to cover up. He tested invalid but Lamar, the doctor, revealed that he knew it all
along. He then let Vincent pass and told him about his son who wanted to be like Vincent. As the
shuttle was departing, the real Jerome was seen committing suicide with his silver medal on and
which turned to gold as it was being burned.
In the film, first and foremost, social class can be really seen. The people in the film are
categorized according to their genetic-make up. Their blood or DNA determined whether they
can have certain things or not. If you have a perfect genetic make-up, then you can enjoy all the
privileges that it has to offer. You have access to great, high-paying jobs, you can do what you
want to do. Unlike the ones who were not genetically enhanced, they suffer from social
discrimination and stratification. They only have access to limited things. They cannot have
higher paying jobs, and them, not having the perfect genetic make-up made them inferior to all
other people. It made them invalid and incapable of reaching and achieving their dreams. Their
genetic make-up also accounts for the variation of people in their society and also led to the
social isolation of Vincent and the invalids. The valid people also has their ascribed status in their
society.
Throughout the whole film, deviance can also be seen. It was illegal in their society that
they assumed an identity that was not theirs. Vincent approached the man to look for a person
with excellent genetic make-up and then they found Jerome Morrow. Vincent was considered as
deviant because he got it to Gattaca assuming the identity of Jerome Morrow. He used Jeromes
blood samples, urine to get it to Gattaca and to achieve his dreams. Another one was when the
Director Josef murdered the mission director which put Vincent in danger as his eyelash was
found. Of course, it was illegal to kill someone. Even in our society today, it is illegal. Director
Josef killed or murdered the mission administrator because he doesnt want to delay the mission
launch and the administrator has been thinking of cancelling the said mission launch. It is an act
of deviance considering he has a perfect genetic makeup and by perfect, I mean he does not have
the violent bone in which he also said in the film.
Another act of deviance was when the real Jerome Morrow committed suicide. He even
committed suicide twice. The first one was when he won silver medal in a swimming
competition. He committed suicide and was involved in a car accident outside the country. The
said car accident made him paralyzed. The second accident was in the last part of the film. As the
space shuttle where Vincent is, launched off, he was seen committing suicide inside his home
incinerator with his silver medal on which turned into gold as it was being burned. This is an act
of deviance as it also illegal to take your own life. It was not normal in their society, considering
he has an excellent genetic make-up or maybe genetically enhanced, which means he should not
have the kind of thinking that makes him commit suicide. But as what Vincent aid in the movie,
Jerome suffered from the burden of perfection.
Another thing that can be incorporated in the film is biology versus culture. Biology may
explain the behavior of the people who are genetically enhanced since all the possible negative
traits are being left out while those people who are invalid like Vincent, culture may explain why
he behave as such. Since it is in their society that only those who have excellent genetic make-up
can be a navigator, it led him to be optimistic and have a strong will and spirit since it is the only
thing he would be capable of to pursue his dreams. But, biology and culture can exist
simultaneously to influence the behavior of a person.
Applying George Herbert Meads Theory of the Social self which said that by taking the
role of others, we become self-aware. Vincent became more self-aware as he took the role and
the identity of Jerome. It made him realize that people with perfect genetic make-up also suffer
from a burden which is the burden of perfection. The concept of Generalized other can also be
seen.
 Applying Charles Horton Cooleys The Looking Glass Self which states that self-image
is based on how we think other see us, Irene had her self-image based on what others see her
which is a person who is still incapable because she has a mild heart condition.