In the modern world, discrimination, whether based on race, gender, or any other similar characteristic, is outlawed in most of the western world. However, what if in the future, a person could be discriminated against for having imperfect DNA? This question is the core question being addressed in the film Gattaca. In Gattaca, people are separated into two castes: valids and invalids. A person’s caste determines how much that person will succeed in his or her life. Valids, who have perfect DNA, lead successful lives, while invalids, who have imperfect DNA, perform menial tasks, thus not bringing them too much success. In the movie, when Vincent Anton Freeman is conceived as an invalid, he is already doomed to live a life of janitorial work just because of his imperfect DNA. Despite this, Vincent wants to succeed, so he illegally uses Jerome Morrow’ DNA, a valid, to become Jerome and live a life of success. In Gattaca, directed by Andrew Niccol, why would Vincent and Jerome leave their respective castes? Despite some obvious reasons, the decision for both of them may go a little deeper than expected. …show more content…
Jerome yearns for success, and since he is an invalid, he cannot elevate himself to a level in society he dreams of attaining. Jerome is clearly unhappy with this problem in his society, so it is imperative to him that he escapes this discrimination he faces. However, a more difficult question to answer is why Vincent would want to escape society altogether. Vincent states his desire to go to space multiple times during the film. Why would he want to go to space? Vincent is clearly annoyed with society as a whole, and in space, a person can escape society. Space represents true freedom from persecution, which is the goal Vincent wanted to attain all his