Rabbit-proof Fence / Gattaca
"Gattaca-like" Society
Rabbit-Proof Fence Synopsis
The movie “The Rabbit Proof Fence”, directed by Phillip Noyce, is a true story based on the life of Molly Craig. She was born around 1917, in Jigalong, Australia. She was known as a half-caste in the time of the Australian eugenic movement. At this time in Australian history eugenics were being heavily practiced. The full whites looked at the aborigines as inferior people and believed that the ones with some white blood or even white genetic traits should be taken from their tribal homes and taught the ways of white society. Molly and her two sisters, Daisy and Grace, were taken away from their mother and home in 1931 and sent to a camp where they would be Christianized and learn to live in a civilized white society. The three girls hated the camp they had been placed in and deeply missed their mother and true home. They escaped from the camp one day and made a remarkable 1600-kilometer trip back to their home at Jigalong. These young girls were able to fool their followers and fend for themselves on the journey that reunited them with their mother. This journey was truly an inspiring trip, the girls crossed over “a flooded river, sand dunes, heath lands, wheat belt, mallee country, gibber plains, red dust and mulga country, spinifex country, claypan and salt lake. They slept in dugout rabbit burrows, caught and cooked rabbits, and ate bibijali, a kind of sweet potato, and karkula, a wild banana. (Stephens)” The fact that these young aborigine girls could have traveled so far was proof that these people were not an inferior race and deserved the chance to live as free people.
History of the Australian Eugenic Program
Australia’s eugenic program was one of the most radical and was pursued for longer than any other of its kind. It was based on the NAZI Lebansborn program, and designed to kidnap the aborigine children from their families and place them in camps where they would be molded into white Australian citizens. The NAZI Lebansborn program differed slightly, as it was designed to breed superior Aryan traits into the German population, but they both used the principles of eugenics to try and achieve a more superior race. The Australian program lasted from the early 1905 to 1970. Eventually it came to an end as people began to be alarmed at the cruelty of the program. The program began when people noticed an increase in the number of half-castes throughout Australia. Many whites shared the opinion of Chief Protector Henry Princip, who wrote in his report that "Each half-caste is a menace to the future moral safety of the community." This was a hotly debated topic, which eventually received government backing in 1905, when the government gave the authority to remove half-caste children from their mothers. James Isdell was given the job of removing all half-caste children from their homes and bring them to camps where they would be “civilized.” Many complaints emerged about the cruelty of this action, but Isdell compared the aborigines to animals explaining that the mothers felt no different to a dog when her puppies were taken away from her (Manne). This was one of the biggest downfalls of the Australian eugenic program, as the whites viewed aborigines as un-humane. The aborigine children were brought to camps were to never again have contact with their homeland or families. Most of the camps were Christian missions with the goal of Christianizing the natives and easing them into the white society.
Why the Eugenic Program Couldn't Work
The biggest flaw in the Australian eugenic program, and almost every eugenic program, is the determination of the superior and inferior races. There are many different races of people around the world, and each one has particular characteristics. Some can be detrimental and others can be very beneficial. In Australia the aborigines were labeled as the inferior race, simply because they lived a different life style to that of the whites. The fact is they had been surviving on the Australian continent just fine for thousands of years before the whites came to their land. Also it was shown in the movie “The Rabbit Proof Fence” that the aborigines were not as stupid or inferior as the whites believed. The journey that Molly, Daisy, and Grace preformed was inspirational and incredible. They out smarted their white followers and were able to make it all the way back to their land on pure ingenuity. The natives may have lived a different life style and done things their own way, but they were not an inferior race to the whites. The tactics used in the Australian eugenic movement were brutal. These innocent children were being taken from their mothers and would never see them again. The mothers were stricken with grief, as any mother would be when their child was taken from them. The whites looked at the natives as beasts rather than equal humans and didn’t take into consideration the scarring that the aborigine families received. They were forced to do something against their will and eventually the white Australians realized this malevolence and forced the program to be disbanded.
Overview
Even though a society exactly like the one featured in "Gattaca" cannot exist, we still do many things that share similar ideas used in "Gattaca". First off, the most obvious form of genectic manipulation/enhancement is anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids are used by athletes and can temporarily increase size and strength. Other methods include genetic engineering and gene testing. With genetic engineering, parents are able to create the "perfect" baby. Gene testing allows parents to scientifically locate a child's strengths.
Anabolic Steroids and Human Growth Hormones
Anabolic steriods and HGH are illegal in sports all over the world for a reason. They increase the size and strength of the athlete that takes them. Steroid usage contains lots of Eugenics-based ideas. This is why steroid usage is closely related to morals expressed in "Gattaca". Steroids are not a natural way of developing success. Just like in "Gattaca", success is chosen by genetic engineering before birth. Steroids have turned in to an easy way to unfairly put yourself on top. Even though anabolic steroids and HGH are not as similar as methods used in "Gattaca", they still share the same reasons for carrying out these methods, to be the best.
Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering in humans is an issue that has been becoming more and more popular. Genetic engineering is literally choosing the different genes and crafting a baby to your specifications. This is a problem because everyone in society wants their baby to be perfect. However, everyone knows that not every body, if even anyone, can be perfect. A Time/CNN poll said, "58% of people think altering human genes is against the will of God." This only helps to show how it is impossible to have a society such as the one in "Gattaca". If over half of the people who participated in the pole believe it is against their religion, then there's no way a "Gattaca-like" society would be allowed today. Although genetic engineering is exactly what characterizes a society like "Gattaca", genetic engineering today is nowhere close to what's featured in the movie. Genetic engineering infused in to society like it is in the movie is not possible in our society.
Gene Testing
Atlas sports genetics, in Boulder, Colorado, is using genetic testing to the fullest. They are able to administer simple DNA tests to small children, and in return they can tell what sports the children will excel at. The gene that Atlas Sports tests for is ACTN3. This gene can tell whether or not the child will better at speed and power sports, or endurance sports. Parents are paying $149 to have this test done. This is closely related to a "Gattaca-like" society. Just like in Gattaca, this is nearly cheating, by being able to figure out what your child will be the best at. Parents believe that finding what your child is best at early could lead to enormous success later on in life. Although this is very similar to "Gattaca" society, it's still not nearly the same. A true "Gattaca-like" society is not possible.
Bibliography
- 1. Macur, Juliet. "Born to Run? Little Ones Get Tested for Sports Gene." New York Times, Nov. 29,2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/sports/30genetics.html?no_interstitial
- 2. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,979980-2,00.html
- 3. http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Steroids/Anabolicsteroids.html
