ENDERS GAME AND GATTACA ESSAY

How has context influenced composers in their representation of values?

An examination of past texts from a contemporary perspective, shows the impacts

of events, systems and ideologies heavily influence the composers representation of
the values in their texts. Orson Scott Cards novel Enders Game (1985) and Andrew
Niccols Gattaca are examples of such texts. Enders Game and Gattaca, both are
heavily influenced by their context and this is evident within their exploration of
ideas such as the pursuit for a utopic society and overpowering nature of
technology. The context of the Cold War and the Genome project have shaped the
representation of such ideas in Enders Game and Gattaca respectively. Cards and
Niccols concern for these values are represented by exaggerating the problems
causing society to question their views on these concepts.

Topic sentence answering the question and supporting your argument

QTE-Effect has to support your argument MORE IN DEPTH

Context more in depth

Final sentence linking back to question and your argument

First idea Humans search for utopia

It is evident that Cards exploration of utopia in his texts satirises humanitys

continual search for what is illusive rather than what is substantial and achievable.
The Cold War perpetuated Americas desire to reach for the ultimate and perfect
world through a rigorous program of genetic research through the nuclear family
descriptively shown as the thirdie. Card satirises such ambitious programs when
his protagonist asserts, I am just like Peter.. take my monitor away
and I am just like Peter.. showing through his repetitive first person narrative his
rejection of the gifted child perspective of the modern age and how people were
easily rejected by society when they did not meet the requirement that they
needed, the emotive language exemplifies the discrimination that they experienced
due to their search for perfection. According to Ender, his view was that the other
boys were perfect, and he toyed with the idea of this satirising humans desire
for perfection.
Similarly, Niccols exploration of utopia in his texts also satirises humanitys
continual search for what is unrealistic to achieve. This notion is reflected when
Vincent first enters Gattaca, he wants to see his smiling face on that floor showing
how he is wants to be perfect. It can also be seen that in the movie there arent
many locations but all of them have polished floors and are perfect showing how
perfection was valued over variety. The palette of the movie is green and blue/grey
exemplifying how the desire for a utopic society has dehumanised individuals. The
recurring motif of glass and water illustrate the invisible walls which Vincent is
rebelling against. Close up shot on Vincents photograph being torn out of the family
photo and through the gap the audience can see Anton walking in showing how he
is being replaced.

Consider Gods handwork, who can straighten what he hath made

crooked?

The repeated shots of him scrubbing his skin and shaving exemplifies how he was
trying to attain perfection and scrubbing represents him scrubbing off any
impurities.

The laboratory in which he is tested is extremely clean and sterile.

Antons father is constantly measuring his height showing how he strived for
perfection in even his childs height. When his father is writing his numbers he is
making it perfect. When he is at the beach he wants a lot more than a drop if
he was going to get anywhere showing how determined he was to strive for
perfection.

Second idea overpowering of technology and science

It can be clearly perceived that Card explores the negative effect of technological
advancements satirically causing society to question their views on such concepts.
The Cold War increased the use of technology and science, such as the use of the
nuclear weapons and increased use of computers and genetics was becoming more
important, this however caused society to change their interactions with society.
This is mirrored in Cards context of his novel, Enders Game. Card portrays this in
his novel as the characters emotively expresses this paradigm, Youre a Third,
turd. Youve got no rights mocking their beliefs through the pun and
foreshadowing how he is constantly being treated differently from normal people
throughout the story due to his genetic makeup, showing how science is
overpowering humanity as he is never referred to using his name. He then further
portrays this using second person narration The other boys talked about
things.Ender could only watch in isolation further showing how he was
constantly being ostracised by society as he was the only third. Furthermore,
scientific developments overpowering humanity are shown as the experiment
entitled Andrew Wiggin hadnt worked out after all metaphorically asserts
technology causing dehumanisation, he is not acknowledged for being a human, he
is just seen as a scientific experiment.

Similarly, Niccols exploration of the overpowering nature of technological

advancements. Technology was beginning to make a big shift in the late 20 th
century as telecommuting was becoming more common, making a big shift in the
normal connections made between people. This is reflected in Niccols Gattaca as
there are fewer interactions between the people in the Gattaca space program.

Close up shot on Vincents photograph being torn out of the family photo and
through the gap the audience can see Anton walking in showing how he is being
replaced. Towards the end of the film, Jerome wants to make sure that he is
here whenever you (Vincent) need him showing how the presence of
someones genetic information was valued over their presence.

when they are playing the credits the letters g, t, c and a are highlighted to show
how genetics was becoming crucial.

Furthermore, ironically his mother put her faith in Gods hands rather than
those of her local geneticist, showing how the social norms were broken, the
close up shot on the Christian cross fades away and the geneticist reads his future
showing the disregard for religious beliefs due to scientific developments.

Scientific developments are further shown in Vincents narration, Ten fingers, ten
toes thats all that used to matter. Now only ten seconds old the exact
time and cause of my (Vincents) death was already known.