Blog #5: The “Other” and Gattaca

 In Goerge J. Annas essay, he talks about genetically engineered ‘superior’ humans and how the normal humans view them. They refer ‘the other’ as in the better humans, the ones that aren’t normal humans. The normal humans feel threatened by the the genetic engineered ones that they seek to destroy them and be the only ones left. The essay and the movie Gattaca have many similarities.

    In the movie Gattaca, Vincent was born a normal human, a lower version then a perfect engineered human like his brother Anton. People judged him and his abilities by the way his blood type was. He couldn’t fulfill his dream to travel and be in space. He put his dream to the side because he knew that he couldn’t make it. Everyone put him down. Even his own family believed what they said about him. They always paid more attention to his brother. Even though Vincent wasn’t seeking to destroy his brother or the others that seemed to be even more important than him he tried to reach where he wanted to go, to reach his only goal. Vincent and his brother always had a swim match to see who could swim out farthest and who would chicken out first. Anton always won but one day Vincent’s state of mind was to not look back.  He wasn’t thinking about the way back and he won. Finally he beat his brother. Something came about him that he could do whatever he set his mind to. By the end of the movie Vincent reached his dream and didn’t look back to all the negative feedback people gave him. Vincent was born a normal human and his brother was ‘better’ but it turned out the complete opposite. The new ideal human isn’t always perfect and ‘better’ then a normal human. It depends on their will to do better. Whoever puts there mind to reach where ever they might want to go, they need to do their best and in their heart they are ‘better’ then those who are genetic engineered to be perfect.