Aidan - Individual Post 5

Matt and Vincent from The House of the Scorpion and Gattaca are strikingly similar; from the way they act to how society treats them. First of all, they both grew up knowing that they were lower than the dirt on society’s boots. Matt was shunned by the entire Alacrán family, but he learned to ignore their hateful stares. Vincent, on the other hand, was shunned by all of the people around him, including his own brother. Despite this, both characters managed to find people who accepted them for who they were. Vincent could only be himself around Jerome, just as Matt could only be comfortable around Celia, Tam Lin and María. These people provide a sanctuary for Matt and Vincent, who have no one else to confide in. I’m sure Matt and Vincent didn’t ask to be born the way they were, and they can’t do anything to change how their lives turned out. Society can be your biggest enemy and motivator. For example, each Matt and Vincent both have their respective rivals, who are both perfectly acceptable in society’s eyes. Tom continuously reprimands Matt for being a dirty clone, while Vincent’s brother Anton is a constant reminder that his own genes are inferior. Matt constantly bickers with Tom, usually resulting in teasing Matt for being a clone. Vincent likes to have swimming competitions with his brother, and these competitions are not friendly. Both Matt and Vincent try to prove themselves worthy and that they are just as good as their rivals, despite their genetics. The societies from Gattaca and The House of the Scorpion are polar opposites from each other; they respectively see the right as wrong, and the wrong as right compared to the other. But in each twisted form of society, both main characters are “wrong” or out of place. However, all their efforts pay off when their rivals admit defeat, in one way or another. During the end of the story, each character ultimately triumphs over the abusive society and is allowed to live his dream. Vincent’s secret is not found out, and he is able to accomplish his childhood dream and go into space. Matt, on the other hand, is not treated with any “race” based contempt and is allowed to live as a normal person. In modern day terms, society’s treatment of Matt and Vincent would have been known as racism. The people around them discriminated against them just because of the way they were born, just as it is in real life. However, the underlying theme of both these stories is “equality”. Everyone should be treated equally, without race or genetic prejudices, as they can go on to do amazing things.