The marginalized groups in both texts, the "mentally ill" and the genetically inferior, are constantly seen trying to gain control of power. For example, in The Cuckoo's Nest, we see that McMurphy, the protagonist of the novel, has the primary goal of trying to change the power dynamics in the psychiatric ward in favor of the patients. McMurphy is often seen pushing the boundaries of the ward's rules to prove that Nurse Ratched's power is nothing more than an illusion. Kessey showed this through the pattern of glass. Glass is commonly referred to in the novel and is symbolic of the divide between those who have and those who do not have power. When McMurphy broke through the nurse's window to get a pack of cigarettes, it was representative of McMurphy breaking through the invisible gap and destroying the illusion of power the nurse had over the ward. Similarly, in Gattaca, a shift in the power dynamic can be seen as Vincent falsifies his identity to rise from the underclass of society to become one of the elite. These shifts in power are representative of the struggle and difficulties that marginalized groups in society have had to overcome. This can also be seen from the symbolic nature of the scene in which Eugene drags himself up the stairs in Gattaca. The ladder itself is shaped like a double helix, the shape of DNA. This climb symbolizes his overcoming the limits that society has imposed on him because of his