Cloning and Biotechnology First Writing Assignment

We have just finished watching the movie Gattaca. While the movie is about a world that does not exist, it contains a number of themes about how biotechnology will change all of our lives in the future, which we will explore during this quarter. (Please note I'm not looking for praise or criticism of the film itself, but rather for discussion of questions that the film raises.)

Your first writing assignment is a 3-4 page reflective essay about the movie, which will be due at the start of the third class meeting (1/17). Please choose one of the questions below, and write an essay in response to the question. Grading will be on the quality ofyour writing and how well you have presented arguments in support of your position, =on what answer you choose. 12 pt font, double spaced, normal margins, etc.

Question 1: Director Josef (Gore Vidal) states to Detective Anton, "No one exceeds their potential. If they did, it would simply mean we did not accurately gauge their potential in the first place." How much of what we call a person's "potential" is realized by opportunities (such as attending a university like DePaul) that some people may not have access to, and how much of their "potential" is due to their genes? Explain your reasoning.

Question 2: Early in the movie, we see Vincent's parents visiting a geneticist for the implantation of their second child, Anton. In addition to eliminating genes +I associated with potential diseases or traits, the geneticist offers them a number of 7-'7 choices about the child: sex, complexion, etc. Do you feel that giving parents this level of choice over their offspring should yy never be permitted, only allowed for certain traits, or always? If your answer is 64,4( "never," address the case where parents know they may pass a serious or fatal 7 disease to their children. If your answer is "sometimes," then justify how you would 4 IA decide what is or isn't allowed. If your answer is "always," then discuss what you think the impact will be on people with traits like left-handedness.

Question 3: The movie ends as Vincent achieves his goal of finally going into space. Based on his exceptional skills at astronavigation, Vincent is qualified to do the job. But if he really does have a heart condition, he could fall ill or die during the course of the year-long mission, which would put the entire mission - and the lives of the other crewmembers -- at risk.

In light of society denying him even an opportunity to prove himself, do you feel that what Vincent did to achieve his dream was justified? Do you think that screening job candidates based on a risk for a disease they may not have is always discriminatory, or for some jobs should it be a requirement?