In the study of Gattaca, directed by Andrew Niccol and Animal Farm composed by George Orwell, conformity versus individualism is a key concern for both composers. Although both contextually different, both texts promote a warning for their respective societies that apparent utopian ideals can lead to the corruption and destruction of values such as individuality, caring and compassion, being replaced by deceit and manipulation to gain control and power. Both texts, written at different times historically, share many significant lessons.

In the sterile society of Gattaca, life is genetically controlled right from the beginning so that everyone gets the “best possible start”. The sterile setting metaphorically captures a tyrannical and authoritarian atmosphere that prizes genetic perfection above all else. It is a world that blocks human aspiration. This becomes evident through the robotic-type characters that inhabit Gattaca. In the film Vincent says: “Engineered like the rest of us” this puts an emphasis on that everyone is the same and individual characteristics such as personality, beliefs and values are irrelevant. Identity is seen in this world as being entirely defined by your status as a valid or in-valid. Beyond this, nothing else is important. The first scenes in Gattaca set an atmosphere of controlled bodily perfection. Vincent is seen shaving and washing. There are extreme close-ups of body matter: blood, skin, hair, eyelashes, urine and fingernails. The use of such shots shows how Gattaca’s society magnifies the importance of genetic material, the smallest physical element of a human being and they also emphasise the extent of conformity that is occurring within this controlled society. The use of such shots also underscores values such as determination and commitment that are undertaken by Vincent in order to achieve his goals. The mid shot of Vincent in the cleansing device shown with bars across his face, presents the responder with a visual symbol of the artificial prison he is attempting to break down. His passion, pain and desperation are clearly evident in underscoring the measures he is prepared to undertake to achieve his individual dreams. Also, Niccol’s use of colour contrasts and shifts, emphasise Vincent’s transformation from “invalid” to “valid”. With the shifting of colours from dark to light, it underlines Vincent’s emergence from the dark side to triumph and success. His ‘perfect’ self can be now entered into the world of Gattaca, his conformity is complete.

Similar concerns of conformity are evident in novel “Animal Farm”, however unlike Gattaca, Orwell’s contextual influences create world based on an allegory of totalitarian standards from communist Russia. Animal farm is a satirical comment on a dystopic society with human characteristics. The essential thesis of the novel is that all human revolutions fail to achieve the disdainful expectations of their originators. Enforced conformity is highly represented throughout the use of the characters, the pigs, but most importantly the character Old Major. In the opening scene Old Major introduces his utopian dream and planning of control over the farm whilst introducing ‘The Seven Commandments’ which were to be obeyed by all animals. ‘The Seven Commandments’ are a clear representation of enforced conformity that was brought upon by the powerful, dominant animals, the pigs. Enforced conformity is taken too many levels within this novel, “Three hens now came forward and stated that Snowball had appeared to them in a dream and incited them to disobey Napoleons orders, they too were slaughtered”. The idea that if animals disobeyed the rules, they were faced with such extreme punishments such as slaughter is a high representation of the compliance that was enforced upon animals by the pigs. To continue on, the constant chanting of the sheep’s, “Four legs good, two legs bad” is a pure example that the sheep are living in a world surrounded by enforced conformity, propaganda and lies. In this world they are being forced to follow the belief that they are aiming for a utopian, independent society, where as in reality they are too consumed in a world full of indoctrination led by the pigs that they have been unable to create their own interpretation on the society they are being forced into. Values such as determination, heroism and dedication are evident through the character Boxer; he constantly says “I will work harder”, which shows important values that are unmistakably evident.

Gattaca and Animal Farm both represent ideas of conformity using different types of techniques and contextual settings. They are both worlds that are divided and controlled by those in power and consist of high order and low order characters. Values such as heroism, commitment and determination occur within both stories. Whilst they both follow the same idea of conformity, they are both trying to achieve a different thesis. The original thesis in Animal Farm is that all human revolutions fail to achieve the lofty expectations of their originators, and in Gattaca the original thesis is that success is determined by other variables that are not within the control of science. While both consist of a different thesis, Animal Farm and Gattaca, both thoroughly communicate the idea of conformity that is without a doubt apparent in both stories.