영화 <마이 시스터즈 키퍼>에 나타난 질병과 생명윤리 고찰 = A Study on the Disease and Bioethics in the Movie My Sister’s Keeper

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this study The purpose of this study is to discuss the existence of therapeutic means through genetic engineering, the right to bodily autonomy, bioethics, and the necessity of hospice care through My Sister’s Keeper, a movie directed by Nick Cassavetes about the sacrifices a family must make for a terminally ill patient. In the movie, the life of the female protagonist has existential value as a means to a therapeutic end. The heroine raises the issue of bioethics by being born as a custom baby. The movie My Sister’s Keeper also borrows the subject matter of a lawsuit between family members. The movie closely presents the principles of autonomy based on bioethics and human dignity that can arise during the treatment process of a sick family member. Basically, the positive aspects of ‘custom-made babies’ can be found in the prevention and treatment of diseases with medical limitations. On the other hand, the negative aspects can be cited as problems in the level of bioethics and misuse of commercial use beyond the function of prevention and treatment. The commercial aspect of ‘custom-made babies’ is that it can expand into a business of investment and sales to secure superior genes by modifying genes or traits according to the preferences of parents, separate from medical prevention and treatment. This distortion of the essence of ‘custom-made babies’ has the potential to infringe upon the value of human life. In the movie, the factor that makes the patient suffer is not simply physical pain, but the awareness of the family’s miserable life caused by him. In the end, the patient is faced with a time of choice for the happiness of his family as he witnesses the dedicated sacrifice. It can be said that the one-sided effort to extend life is rather the decisive factor that makes the patient suffer. The sacrificial efforts of families for the patients within the family have limitations. This is because the patients can experience regret, guilt, and physical pain toward their families. In conclusion, life extension without the patient’s opinion forces suffering, and the need for hospice services for a dignified death is required.