Farenheit451/Gattaca, Relationship Between Man and Machine

ENGLISH ESSAY Science fiction is a genre of fiction revolving around science and technology, usually conveying the dystopian alternative future context, the pessimistic resultant of society. Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and Andrew Niccols Gattaca (1997) both explore the values and concerns of human existence. Despite the difference in context, Gattaca and Fahrenheit 451 both extrapolate the relationship between man and machine in a metaphorical sense. Both pose similar dystopian concepts of a machine like world. Through the use of juxtapoism, satire, film noir, textual devices and symbolism, both artists are able to successfully convey their interpretation on the values and concerns of science and technology. The historical†¦show more content†¦Hence put at the very bottom of the economic structure, not being able to compete against those declared ‘valid’. â€Å"I belonged to a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the colour of your skin. No, we n ow have discrimination down to a science†. Gattaca parries the genetic technologies present in the 1990’s with his dystopian alternative. The game of chicken acts a metaphorical ‘hidden’ phrase implying the flaws of genetic manipulation and science in general. This hidden statement is inevitably relevant when comparing with all past genetic projects. Dolly, who was the prime uprising of cloning/genetic technology, failed after a short amount of time even though it had a supposed life expectancy of 12 years. Even though Vincent’s brother is declared genetically perfect at birth Vincent impossibly beats him in the game of chicken resulting with questioning of the perfectness of science and technology. Vincent’s human like/in valid features are portrayed through his obvious spectacles, suggesting myopia which is one of the many human ‘burdens’, and also his heart disease. Both texts conclude with suicide and a sense of hope. Hence th e relationship between man and machine and machine is mutual, as humanity prevailed under the dystopia machine had forced upon them. In Gattaca where Jerome commit suicide yet Vincent exults with his dream. Similarly in Fahrenheit 451, where Beatty chose to end his life after the overwhelming human emotions