Period 4
Survival of The Fittest
According to Darwin’s theory the animals best prepared for their environments will live longer and their genetics will be passed down. This theme of survival of the fittest is explored in both the novel Lord of The Flies by William Golding and the film “Gattaca” directed by Andrew Niccol. In The Lord of The Flies, Golding explores the idea of Social Darwinism but with an unusual twist. When a plane of 6-12 year old boys crashes on a desert island, things get out of control with no adult supervision and these young boys quickly lose themselves. In the cinematic world of “Gattaca”, the main character Vincent dreams of more for himself, but the futuristic and judgemental society in which he lives in views him as ‘in-valid’ due to not being genetically modified like the majority of the population. Golding’s character Piggy and Niccol’s character, Vincent, are both portrayed as useless outcasts. It seems impossible to compare Golding’s novel with Niccol’s movie “Gattaca.”; However, when analysing the two pieces it becomes clear to see there is a sense of conformity and Darwin’s ideas are apparent in both of their respective worlds.
As the boys in The Lord of The Flies endure the harsh conditions of being stranded on an island, they find their own strengths and weaknesses. Darwin suggested that only those who are truly fit can survive in their own environment. Jack and Ralph emerge as the natural leaders of the group. Jack survives mainly with his ability to obtain food and keep his crew healthy, while Ralph understands the importance of shelter and structure. We see how only those who are best fit can survive. Piggy, however does not possess these instincts. Piggy is seen as the weakest link in the group. With bad eyesight, a weight problem, and asthma he is the most physically vulnerable of all the boys and is constantly made fun of despite his greater intelligence. He is seen as an easy target. His intelligence this is not seen as valuable to the other boys. Only Ralph understands Piggy and appreciates the benefits of his smarts. Piggy becomes Ralph’s friend and trusted advisor. However, Piggy relies too heavily on the fact the boys will remain civilized and is naive to the savage nature the other boys are adopting. This ultimately leads to his death. When he is killed, he is trying to reason with the boys in a civilized manner and blows the conch and summon the other boys. This opposes their now barbaric ways and is seen as threatening to the others. Now that Piggy is dead they are able to function without reason freely. In this society the only way to survive is to rely on basic instinct alone and have a kill or be killed mindset. Piggy ends up dead because he isn’t capable of the skills the other boys.
The dystopian society in the movie “Gattaca” created a society where everyone should be perfect and should fit in a certain mold. If they do not meet the standards, they become a ‘de-gene-erate’ and are seen as rejects. This society, like in Lord of The Flies, is based on Social Darwinism and survival of the fittest. Vincent, the main character, is a ‘god-child’ or ‘in-valid’. ‘Invalid’ means a person that is naturally conceived and not via genetical engineering. Throughout his whole life,Vincent has aimed to travel to space and join the prestigious Gattaca space program. Unfortunately, since he is a in-valid he is unable to. Vincent is sentenced to a life of low grade jobs and ends up working as a janitor for Gattaca. With the status of in-valid he believes this is the closest he will ever get to reaching his goals. ‘Valids’ are genetically modified in a eugenics lab and are made to be the best possible versions of themselves that they can be. Those who have a ‘valid’ status are superior and offered more opportunities in life. In the movie, Vincent is born an ‘in-valid’ while his younger brother, Anton, is a ‘valid’. This made Vincent’s childhood extremely competitive and he always knew and was always told he wasn’t good enough. His own father even said “Listen for God’s sake, you gotta understand something, the only way that you’ll see the inside of a spaceship if you’re cleaning it.”. This genetic discrimination creates a mass segregation among the people living in this society.
Through the comparison Golding’s Lord of The Flies and Niccol’s “Gattaca.”, it can be known that Social Darwinism and the pressure of fitting in are the major underlying themes of both pieces. Both character of Piggy and Vincent struggled in their situations due to outside forces. No matter what they did they would never be viewed as equal due to the social standards that were set for them. The interpretation of Darwin’s theory, that, in order to survive, one must learn to adapt and evolve. Unlike Piggy, Vincent did survive. He did this by adapting to the world around him. He portrayed himself as a ‘valid’ so that he could get ahead. He knew the only way to survive in this society was to be what they wanted him to be. Since Vincent knew that genetically he did not fit the mold, he did everything he possibly could to physically fit the mold. He even stole the identity of another man who was ‘valid’. He was the fittest to survive and he was the strongest to succeed. Although unlikely, he was “Nature’s Selection”. Piggy on the other hand, did not conform to the rules of his society, leading to his demise. He believed that if he followed what he believed in everything would be alright. He believed his standards were the best ones. While the survival of the fittest theme is in both texts, only Vincent truly survived. Just as Darwin believed, those who are able to adapt to their environment are those most likely to survive. Vincent was able to adapt to his surrounding. Unfortunately, Piggy was not.
Survival of The Fittest
According to Darwin’s theory the animals best prepared for their environments will live longer and their genetics will be passed down. This theme of survival of the fittest is explored in both the novel Lord of The Flies by William Golding and the film “Gattaca” directed by Andrew Niccol. In The Lord of The Flies, Golding explores the idea of Social Darwinism but with an unusual twist. When a plane of 6-12 year old boys crashes on a desert island, things get out of control with no adult supervision and these young boys quickly lose themselves. In the cinematic world of “Gattaca”, the main character Vincent dreams of more for himself, but the futuristic and judgemental society in which he lives in views him as ‘in-valid’ due to not being genetically modified like the majority of the population. Golding’s character Piggy and Niccol’s character, Vincent, are both portrayed as useless outcasts. It seems impossible to compare Golding’s novel with Niccol’s movie “Gattaca.”; However, when analysing the two pieces it becomes clear to see there is a sense of conformity and Darwin’s ideas are apparent in both of their respective worlds.
As the boys in The Lord of The Flies endure the harsh conditions of being stranded on an island, they find their own strengths and weaknesses. Darwin suggested that only those who are truly fit can survive in their own environment. Jack and Ralph emerge as the natural leaders of the group. Jack survives mainly with his ability to obtain food and keep his crew healthy, while Ralph understands the importance of shelter and structure. We see how only those who are best fit can survive. Piggy, however does not possess these instincts. Piggy is seen as the weakest link in the group. With bad eyesight, a weight problem, and asthma he is the most physically vulnerable of all the boys and is constantly made fun of despite his greater intelligence. He is seen as an easy target. His intelligence this is not seen as valuable to the other boys. Only Ralph understands Piggy and appreciates the benefits of his smarts. Piggy becomes Ralph’s friend and trusted advisor. However, Piggy relies too heavily on the fact the boys will remain civilized and is naive to the savage nature the other boys are adopting. This ultimately leads to his death. When he is killed, he is trying to reason with the boys in a civilized manner and blows the conch and summon the other boys. This opposes their now barbaric ways and is seen as threatening to the others. Now that Piggy is dead they are able to function without reason freely. In this society the only way to survive is to rely on basic instinct alone and have a kill or be killed mindset. Piggy ends up dead because he isn’t capable of the skills the other boys.
The dystopian society in the movie “Gattaca” created a society where everyone should be perfect and should fit in a certain mold. If they do not meet the standards, they become a ‘de-gene-erate’ and are seen as rejects. This society, like in Lord of The Flies, is based on Social Darwinism and survival of the fittest. Vincent, the main character, is a ‘god-child’ or ‘in-valid’. ‘Invalid’ means a person that is naturally conceived and not via genetical engineering. Throughout his whole life,Vincent has aimed to travel to space and join the prestigious Gattaca space program. Unfortunately, since he is a in-valid he is unable to. Vincent is sentenced to a life of low grade jobs and ends up working as a janitor for Gattaca. With the status of in-valid he believes this is the closest he will ever get to reaching his goals. ‘Valids’ are genetically modified in a eugenics lab and are made to be the best possible versions of themselves that they can be. Those who have a ‘valid’ status are superior and offered more opportunities in life. In the movie, Vincent is born an ‘in-valid’ while his younger brother, Anton, is a ‘valid’. This made Vincent’s childhood extremely competitive and he always knew and was always told he wasn’t good enough. His own father even said “Listen for God’s sake, you gotta understand something, the only way that you’ll see the inside of a spaceship if you’re cleaning it.”. This genetic discrimination creates a mass segregation among the people living in this society.
Through the comparison Golding’s Lord of The Flies and Niccol’s “Gattaca.”, it can be known that Social Darwinism and the pressure of fitting in are the major underlying themes of both pieces. Both character of Piggy and Vincent struggled in their situations due to outside forces. No matter what they did they would never be viewed as equal due to the social standards that were set for them. The interpretation of Darwin’s theory, that, in order to survive, one must learn to adapt and evolve. Unlike Piggy, Vincent did survive. He did this by adapting to the world around him. He portrayed himself as a ‘valid’ so that he could get ahead. He knew the only way to survive in this society was to be what they wanted him to be. Since Vincent knew that genetically he did not fit the mold, he did everything he possibly could to physically fit the mold. He even stole the identity of another man who was ‘valid’. He was the fittest to survive and he was the strongest to succeed. Although unlikely, he was “Nature’s Selection”. Piggy on the other hand, did not conform to the rules of his society, leading to his demise. He believed that if he followed what he believed in everything would be alright. He believed his standards were the best ones. While the survival of the fittest theme is in both texts, only Vincent truly survived. Just as Darwin believed, those who are able to adapt to their environment are those most likely to survive. Vincent was able to adapt to his surrounding. Unfortunately, Piggy was not.