GATTACA: Selected Traits vs. Conceiving Naturally

In the futuristic world of GATTACA, people can genetically enhance their child so they can live a life of greatness and be a “valid” member of the working society. For example, after Vincent- who was conceived of love- was born and had many flaws, his parents decided to have another child, which they chose traits for. There are reasons as to why or why not one would want to select certain traits for their child. I personally am not exactly sure if I would want to or not.

On one hand, I would want more than anything for my child to be happy and achieve their goals. I want them to grow up in an environment where they could succeed in anything they put their mind to and have a greater chance of success. However, selected traits, like intelligence and athleticism may not be the direct path to greatness. For example, Jerome was a god like figure; he was one of the most qualified  people to be in GATTACA. But although he had all of these amazing talents and qualifications, he lacked spirit, and this lead to depression and drinking; so a great outcome is not guaranteed, but there is a good chance that people will get the results they were hoping for. Why not take advantage of the opportunity to get ahead if it means there is the probability of a brilliant outcome?

In contrary, the main reasons I wouldn’t want to genetically modify my child is because I would feel like it is less of me than it would’ve been and i believe that, like Vincent, they could achieve success without selected genes. In GATTACA, the doctor for Vincent’s parents asks them if they would like to modify their child and reassures them that the child is still a combination of them, simply the best version. This is slightly more comforting, but as a person who believes that everything happens for a reason, I feel like that would be messing with fate. Vincent is born with many flaws and was an invalid, however, he manages to do better than most people who do have modifications. One who has to work harder to reach success and ends up achieving their goals will feel much more accomplished than those whose lives have been made easier. They will feel like they’ve earned it and know that they have potential to do great things even without a boost.

I believe that everything unfolds as it should in the end, so no matter what someone chooses to do it will all end up okay. People can choose to select their child’s genes, and that’s okay. They will most likely end up reaching their goals and happiness because they have advantages, and they are a combination of the best versions of their parents. If people choose to let their child have a natural birth, that’s okay too. They can reach success as well. possibly not as easy as one with special genes, but that’s something that makes it worth it. Either way, greatness depends on spirit, dedication, and  and the effort one is willing to put in to everything they do to reach their dreams.