GATTACA Reflection Questions

Questions about GATTACA!

Choose several of the following questions to discuss in a blog post reflection on the movie GATTACA. This reflection might be used as an artifact on your portfolio page 4 and could help demonstrate your awareness of the effects of science and technology upon society.

1. The following terms were used in the movie. How do they relate to the words we use: degenerate and invalid?

        De-gene-erate

        In-valid

        Borrowed Ladder

2. Why do you think Vincent left his family, tearing his picture out of the family photo, after winning the swimming race against his brother?

So I thin Vincent left his family because they didn't support him in his dream, they thought he could never do it because he was invalid.

3. Describe the relationship between Vincent and Anton.

The relationship between Vincent and Anton is kind of difficult at times because Anton was the perfect child while Vincent was invalid. Vincent and Anton competed in swimming the furthest and every time Anton won until the last time they swam and Vincent won. In the end they still were brothers and loved one another.

4. When Jerome Morrow said to Vincent/Jerome, “They’re not looking for you. When they look at you, they only see me,” what did he mean? Can you find any parallels to this type of situation in real life?

When Jerome said that to Vincent, he meant that they don't see beyond what his information his because his information says it all. It's like what people say it's not what is on the outside but what is on the inside.

5. Choose your favorite character from the film. Explain why you choose that person. Would you want to be that person? Why? Why not?

My favorite character had to be Vincent because even when people told him he could never go to outer space he never listened but instead strived to be better and live his dream. Even though he was invalid he accomplished more than anyone could dream and he strove so hard to be better. Although I would never want to be him because those aren't my dreams at all.

6. At the end of the film, you are told that the Doctor knew about Vincent all along. Why did the Doctor go along with the fraud? What would you have done if you were the Doctor?

So in the end the doctor did knew about Vincent all along but he went along with it all this time because he to had a son with dream and problems. His son had looked up to Vincent and the doctor knew how hard he worked to get to where he was. If I were to be in the same situation as the doctor I would help Vincent accomplish his dream. I would not want to be the one to destroy his dreams. He was not causing anyone problems or putting anyone in dangerous situation because he was able to control himself.

7. The technology to do what was done in the movie is definitely possible within the next ten years. Do you think that Vincent’s world could eventually happen in America? Why?

I do think that Vincent's world could eventually happen in America because everyday in America there are people working to improve our technology. Every year the improvement to our technology is tremendous.

8. What do you think is wrong with the society portrayed in "GATTACA"? What is right?

The society in GATTACA is portrayed as the perfect people could accomplish anything they wanted to because they were not messed up or had a disease. The people who were sick or had some type of disease were automatically put at the bottom and kind of looked down upon. Vincent had a heart disease and because of that he wasn't allowed to do much. I thought of this to be very wrong because the dreams of many people were taken away without even having a fighting chance to them.

9. What were the screenwriters trying to tell us through the episode of the 12-fingered pianist? Is anything wrong with engineering children to have 12 fingers if, as a result, they will be able to make extraordinarily beautiful music?

The screen writers were trying to tell us that you can have a child with any feature or can do anything by putting the right gene together that you want them to have. I truly think that having twelve fingers is wrong just to make extraordinary music. We are not mean to have twelve fingers only ten, even if the parent want that they should not be able to go through with it.

10. You and your spouse are having a child and are at the Genetic Clinic pictured in the movie. What characteristics would you want for your child and what would you ask to be excluded? Why would you make those choices?

  If me and my spouse were to have children and go to the Genetic Clinic like in the movie, all I would ask is to have a healthy child that resembled both my spouse and I. I would love for them to play sports but I would not want them to be made for them because I would rather them make their own choices rather than them having to live up to a picture perfect future. It's not right!

11. Picture yourself as either Vincent, Jerome, or Anton. Would you have acted the same or done things differently if you were in the same world as them?

If I were to be in the same situation as Vincent and Jerome then I would do the same thing because I would want to prove everyone wrong on what they think and believe. Just because something is wrong with you doesn't mean you have to revolve your world around it.

12. How does the society portrayed in GATTACA resemble the type of society that some Americans were hoping for during the height of the Eugenics movement?

The society in GATTACA is resembled to stop all of the bad characteristics that kids can have. The healthy people or kind of put on a pedal stool while the sick or not healthiest people or put down at the bottom. They believe that only the healthy people can do stuff while the unhealthy are a inconvenience.