Technological Advances example essay topic

"Of course, it's illegal to discriminate- "geno ism" it's called- but no-one takes the laws seriously" Vincent Freeman is known as a faith birth, a godchild, a de-gene-erate but worst of all, an in-valid. From the day he was born, Vincent was discriminated against. The film Gattaca is set in the not-to-distant future yet the technological advances have already allowed a whole new form of prejudice. While technology has greatly advanced, it seems that we as humans have not. Gattaca shows that many human habits will remain with us in the future.

Discrimination is a human habit. We treat people differently because of their religion, their race, their sex, their age, social status and even the colour of their skin. Gattaca shows a society where there have been many advances including advances in methods of discrimination. The elitist workers at Gattaca have learned from birth that they have superior genetic make-up and that they had no excuse to fail. On the other hand, in-valid's knew they didn't stand a chance.

As Vincent says "the best test score in the world wasn't going to get me in the front door unless I had the blood test to go with it". Parents can choose to put the future of their child in the hands of god or in the hands of a geneticist. Those who choose to give birth to a godchild, for moral or economic reasons, are condemning their child to a lifetime of discrimination. Gattaca shows us the advances which science has made in the future. The people at that time know so much of the natural and physical phenomena of science yet comparatively so little about human habits. The most obvious example of the technological advance is bringing a child into the world in what has become the "natural" way- through a geneticist.

Gattaca shows how this can make children susceptible to discrimination. Vincent was a faith birth. In an early scene of the film, we see Maria and Antonio making love in and old Buick Riviera in a beach parking lot. A voiceover states that "They used to say a child conceived in love, has a greater chance of happiness. They don't say that anymore".

This statement is highlighted by the fact that the natural surroundings look dreary and deserted. In comparison, Vincent's brother Anton, a child worthy of his father's name, was brought into the world with the help of the local geneticist who informs Antonio and Maria that they could conceive naturally a thousand times and never get such a result. This scene takes place in a neat, bright office. Scientific advances have also allowed for more indepth blood testing and urine sampling. It has allowed people to look into others lives and discriminate against them on as little as an eyelash.