The film depicts a future where gene-editing technology has reached such a stage that it has become the new normal to predefine an unborn child’s characteristics to be virtually perfect in all aspects. This leads to the humans who were born naturally – ‘god-children’ or ‘invalids’ – to be degraded by the ‘valids’. The scene where the preschool teacher closes the gate on Vincent and his parents symbolizes this kind of genetical discrimination, where the invalids are obstructed from following their dreams and are almost set up to fail from the moment they arrive in the world. It is clear that Vincent knows this all too well, as seen when Vincent is cleaning the rooftops and a spaceship launches in the distance, and he says, “I was never more certain of how far away I was from my goal than when I was standing right beside it.” But throughout the movie, there are many scenes that demonstrate his determination to succeed in a world where he was written off right when he was born. His ‘chicken’ races with his brother, Anton, especially the last one where he proclaims that he ‘never saved anything for the swim back’, were the most prominent examples. However, there was another standout moment (shown below) when he is shown cleaning the glass that separates the hallway and the escalators, and his boss tells him not to clean it too well or he would get ‘ideas’. Vincent cheekily replies, “Yeah, but if the glass is clean, it’ll be easier for you to see me when I’m on the other side of it.” Jerome, though, is almost the exact opposite of Vincent. He is one of the most perfect valids, yet he does not have the sheer willpower that Vincent had in abundance. Unable to accept being a silver medalist, he attempted to commit suicide, which left him with his disability. The incinerator in the basement can also be interpreted as another symbol of their contrasting mindsets. Vincent uses it to get rid of any dead skin, hair, etc. that could act as leads in discovering his true identity, to ensure he could achieve his goal. In contrast, Jerome uses it to burn his own body once he feels that he has nothing more worth living for.
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