Introduction
Modern society makes multiple opportunities to create a better world, without even thinking about the actual price of this attempt. Many centuries ago, the term “utopia” was created as an imagined community where a perfect style of life and the desired social conditions were promoted.
However, as soon as the utopian idea was accepted, its opposition, dystopia, emerged. A dystopian society is characterized by suffering, disability, and injustice in human relationships. Despite the intention to overcome natural laws, people never stop searching for perfection. To learn more about utopian and dystopian worlds, one should address movies or literature.
In this paper, Gattaca by Andrew Niccol and Never Let Me Go by Mark Romanek will be analyzed. Both works show how the desire to create a perfect utopia results in an inevitable dystopia. Either a science fiction or a romantic tragedy contributes to the discussion about human rights, freedoms, and the impact of disability, medical or social. Gattaca and Never Let Me Go introduce two different dystopias devised as utopias where disabilities are recognized and treated in a specific way, proving the power of the natural balance and human weaknesses.
Gattaca Summary
When people think about the future, in the majority of cases, they believe that science and technology should help to change the world. Niccol describes Gattaca as one of the alternatives where people can choose the genetic characteristics of their babies. Parents remove all negative features, rooted in the genetic code, and create perfect babies who grow up in healthy and “valid” people who could just suffer under “the burden of perfection” (Niccol, 1997).
At first, such a society seems to be an improved version of the current world because a number of diseases and disorders are prevented. However, in a short period, genetic discrimination between “valid” and “invalid” cannot be neglected. Vincent, a born-in-love man, has several potential health problems and cannot find a good job that corresponds to his interest. Then, he meets Jerome Morrow, a created in the laboratory but paralyzed swimmer, who wants to sell his genetic material to Vincent. Both of them prove that “there is no gene for fate” (Niccol, 1997). They break the system and reach their dreams: Vincent leaves the Earth, and Jerome follows his dream.
Never Let Me Go Summary
Compared to Gattaca, where technologies determine human life, Never Let Me Go is a romantic tragedy movie. There are three main characters in the movie, Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth. Kathy is a calm and smart girl who observes her friends’ relationships and never shows her emotions. Tommy is an isolated and unconfident boy who is not able to make serious decisions and follows someone’s lead. Ruth is an ambitious and manipulative girl who is motivated by her jealousy and unwillingness to stay alone.
At first sight, these young people have nothing in common, but in fact, all of them are united because they will soon “start to donate vital organs,” and that is the reason they were created (Romanek, 2010). They are the residents of Hailsham and then go to cottages, without knowing their faith as donors for “real” people. The idea of this dystopia lies in the creation of humans (clones) to cure incurable diseases and prolong human life up to 100 years. Although the concept of altruism has its benefits, the tragedy lies in the fact that donors become humans and cannot neglect their dreams, emotions, and feelings.
Models of Disability in Movies
Model in Gattaca
One of the goals of a utopia is to remove the overwhelming impact of disability on human lives. However, as soon as disability is considered a problem, it provokes the creation of a dystopia. In Gattaca, the social model of disability prevails because of evident social restrictions on employment opportunities and even loving affairs. The core aspect of the social model is that disability is “ultimately a socially constructed phenomenon,” with a number of limitations imposed by the physical and social environment (Retief & Letšosa, 2018, p. 3).
Despite personal abilities and dreams, people have to prove something, without even understanding why they do it. The peculiar feature of the dystopia offered in Gattaca is that genetic success is always something people strive for in their personal and professional development. A new world is based on the idea of genetic determinism where the disabled or “invalids” cannot get rid of genetic stigmatization and manipulations in terms of job choice and future perspectives (Fahn, 2020). Social disability is not a negative feature but an expected outcome, the price that has to be paid for the possibility to remove all medical disabilities.
At the same time, in the movie, the director underlines the importance of inclusiveness to a community by means of removing all wrong or damaging factors. Children who are born without any genetic disorders (valid ones) are able to achieve good results in different areas. However, as well as Jerome Eugene, they could face a number of challenges or disabilities and find themselves unprepared to deal with problems. Jerome commits suicide by burning himself alive because of the inability to be the first but only to lend the body (Niccol, 1997).
Irene accepts the fact that she cannot become an astronaut because of heart failure but has to look “for any flaw, that after a while that’s all” she can see (Niccol, 1997). Anton never works hard but demonstrates his superiority over Vincent, without even thinking that a real man “never saved anything for the swim back” (Niccol, 1997). In other words, the social model of disability helps to comprehend that Gattaca’s genetic superiority removes physiological diseases but never deals with human weaknesses
Models in Never Let Me Go
On the one hand, it is possible to say that Never Let Me Go is a perfect example of medical disability when clones are created to help real people replace their organs and prolong their existence. According to the medical model, disability is a medical problem or a personal tragedy with no right or wrong answer (Retief & Letšosa, 2018). Health problems are thoroughly studied and analyzed to be prevented or treated. This dystopian world shows that medical science reached certain improvements and promoted able-bodiedness as a logical conclusion (Ridinger-Dotterman, 2018).
Today, if a person is asked about the cherished dream, many people would like to choose health and the possibility to live as long as possible. In Never Let Me Go, this opportunity is discussed but not from the point of view of who gets this opportunity. The creation of a utopia is impossible without a dystopia because “none of us really understand what we’ve lived through, or feel we’ve had enough time” (Romanek, 2010). Any good thing should have its price, and in this case, the life of one person results in taking something from another person.
On the other hand, the characteristics of the social model are evident because of close attention to the environment, social barriers, and isolation. When the medical model faces limitations and critiques, the social model is applied to demonstrate how a situation can be regarded as a disability (Retief & Letšosa, 2018). People or clones (in this movie) have to deal with a rather difficult situation when they can do nothing to avoid death in order to fulfill their purpose and become donors several times.
Following the already established social structures, the characters of the movie must define themselves according to the imposed ideas and standards (Ridinger-Dotterman, 2018). The main problem of the dystopian society is “you’ve been told and not told,” so “you’ve been told but none of you really understand” (Romanek, 2010). The bodies of these clones are disabled since their “birth,” and social barriers exist, without giving an opportunity to change something.
It is also correct to say that the story introduced by Romanek in 2010 is an example of the identity model of disability. According to Brewer (as cited in Retief & Letšosa, 2018), the identity model “shares the social model’s understanding… but differs to the extent that it claims disability as a positive identity” (p. 5).
There are many examples of how the Hailsham community treats its students with dignity, respect, and order. Young people are able to develop their relationships, pay no money, and think about nothing but the opportunities they get. Their childhood is happy and safe, despite the fact that no one knows what to expect in the future. The identity model helps the characters not to feel like outsiders but as saviors for others.
Importance of Human Rights and Disability Identity
Gattaca, Never Let Me Go, and many other Hollywood projects perfectly discover the essence of human rights importance. When people strive to create a utopian society, they believe they do everything correctly. The purpose is to remove diseases and predict health problems. The directors underline the necessity to respect human rights and avoid discrimination.
In Gattaca, disabled people are not minorities, but they “belong to a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the color of your skin” (Niccol, 1997). They could find a job, have a family, and earn a living, but if they do not meet the physiological standards, they can hardly follow their dreams. Genetically created people have more opportunities, but they may also be challenged and limited any time, which makes all the people discriminated “down to a science” (Niccol, 1997).
Disability identity is used to help society adapt to their differences and hopelessness. Instead of enjoying the utopian conditions, they struggle with dystopian outcomes. They have the right to fight and prove something, but the question is if they are ready (like Vincent), resist (like Jerome), or neglect (like Irene or Anton).
In Never Let Me Go, the discussion of human rights is challenged by the fact that the main characters are not humans but clones. The school of Hailsham was created to raise clones and develop their bodies to the condition when a donation is effective. Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth were never independent individuals with properly identified rights and freedoms. The employees of the school do not want “to look into” the souls of their students but to see if there are souls at all (Romanek, 2010). It means that attempts are made to discover the personhood of disabled characters and humanize clones (Ridinger-Dotterman, 2018).
As soon as students touch the art, imitate human behaviors, and study the peculiarities of interpersonal relationships, they cannot neglect the significance of their rights and freedoms. They learn that “none of you will go to America. None of you will work in supermarkets. None of you will do anything except live the life that has already been set out” (Romanek, 2010). They need to have dreams, feelings, and emotions, and the inevitability of donation destroys all their plans, as well as belief in human rights.
Values of People with Disabilities
The movies under analysis introduce a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of the values that people with disabilities hold. Each story has its unique plot and impact on the viewer because of the possibility to recognize the things that have been recently unremarkable. For example, in Never Let Me Go, the characters demonstrate progress throughout their so-called lives. Ruth finds her goal in correcting the mistakes she made in her relationships with Kathy and Tommy. Kathy realizes that job could help her fill the void in her life. Tommy has to struggle with his “developmentally delayed behavior” and “read social cues” (Ridinger-Dotterman, 2018, p. 74).
Similar values are present in everyday life, and the ways of how these clones solve their problems and achieve their goals serve as good lessons for modern society. Regardless of their goals and dreams, people cannot grasp one simple thing – the value of time. As well as Kathy, individuals should remind themselves about the luck to have any time with their beloved ones (Romanek, 2010). As well as Ruth, many people are not ready for their personal physiological weaknesses despite high morale and priorities.
In Gattaca, people with disabilities discuss their values through the prism of scientific standards. Their task is more challenging than one of the characters from Never Let Me Go because they deal not with humans and their intentions but with genetic and their impregnability. Niccol introduces four different characters, whose styles of life and abilities are predetermined by genetics. However, the development of each character gains a specific form not because of common standards but because of their personal qualities.
Compared to Irene, Anton, and Jerome, Vincent was born by a woman who “put her faith in God’s hands, rather than her local geneticist” (Niccol, 1997). He never understood her decision, but he had nothing to do but accept this truth and do everything possible despite it. He sets the goal to leave the Earth, and, even being a degenerate, he finds a way to his dream and proves the significance of his values. None of the genetically created people can do the same – Irene has never become an astronaut, Anton has never exercised to become stronger, and Jerome has never beaten faith that made him an invalid.
Future Settings of Movies
If Gattaca represents an alternative to a future world, the settings of Never Let Me Go describe the society of the 1960s and its changes associated with medical science. Both worlds are dystopias, where a utopian desire to prolong life expectancy results in the promotion of classism and inequality. The future is impossible to predict, and its development depends on how people cope with their tasks and use their resources. Both societies lack humanity and want to trust scientific interventions more than to believe in human skills and love. However, the differences in the timeframes of the movies can be used as explanations of the stories.
In the past settings, Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth do not have a chance to change something because of their true essence of being a clone of a human, and Tommy’s cry in front of the car is the only reaction to inevitability. In the future, Vincent is a human, and he wants to change and improve his identity, following the slogan “if, at first, you don’t succeed… try, try again” (Niccol, 1997). He resists the existing classism and inequality and wins, finding support among people.
The chosen movies prove that disability is a constant that never disappears in human society. It may exist as a physiological problem when a person cannot walk (Jerome) or has a mental disorder (Tommy). It can also be a social concern when it is impossible to make independent decisions (Kathy) or see behind the established limits (Irene). In other words, the future does not change the essence of disability, but it changes the way of how people should treat it.
One of the examples of how the future setting affects human rights is observed in Vincent’s family. His parents always consider him as “chronically ill,” with “every skinned knee and runny nose” being treated “as if it were life-threatening” (Niccole, 1997). They accept him as invalid and allow everyone around to think the same way. They died believing that they outlived their son because of their poor judgments and unwillingness to view Vincent as he was but not as the genetic test showed. Vincent does not want to live in respect to this fate and continues developing his skills to prove the opposite – disability of the system and genetic science.
Conclusion
The disability concept is complex, and many opinions can be developed around it. Never Let Me Go and Gattaca, as well as Hollywood, address this issue to show why people create utopias and how they become dystopias, neglecting human rights. In the majority of cases, society promotes technological progress, development, and scientific importance to find solutions to such problems as health disabilities, mental disorders, and limited opportunities.
However, almost the same result is observed – it is impossible to live in a perfect world, where everyone is happy and satisfied. There is also a price that has to be paid for success, health, or employment. If one person gets a job, there is always another person who cannot get it. If one individual gets a cure from an incurable disease, there is always another who loses a life.
Classism, inequality, and disability promote a balance between good and bad, right and wrong, and one cannot exist without another. The worlds presented in Never Let Me Go or Gattaca are meant to be perfect, but the natural law of balance never disappears, making utopian and dystopian principles go together always.
References
Fahn, C. W. (2020). Perfecting bodies: Who are the disabled in Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca? Philosophies, 5(2). doi:10.3390/philosophies5020006
Niccol, A. (1997). Gattaca [Film]. Jersey Films.
Retief, M., & Letšosa, R. (2018). Models of disability: A brief overview.HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 74(1), 1-8. Web.
Ridinger-Dotterman, A. (2018). Precarity as personhood in Kazuo Ishiguro’s never let me go. American, British and Canadian Studies, 31, 65-85. doi:10.2478/abcsj-2018-0017
Romanek, M. (2010). Never let me go [Film]. DNA Films.