"In his image: the cloning of a man": synopsis and biotechnology

Exam on Biotechnology

Part I: Write a brief synopsis and indicate the specific role of biotechnology in the story. Include a brief description of the biotechnology process.

“IN HIS IMAGE: THE CLONING OF A MAN” is a novel by David M. Rorvik. It was published in 1978 in the United States. The story is told in a manner that was a combination of documentary, biographical, and even scientific journal (because of its many discussed and perhaps, claimed scientific concepts and scientific scholarly people quoted). The story revolves around a male freelance writer (called “David”) who is very knowledgeable in and writes about pregnancy, contraception, infertility, genetics, and other related scientific topics. It is the writer who acts as the protagonist and it is from his point of view that the story is told.

A very wealthy, single, and private businessman in his late age (referred to as “Max”) contacts David mysteriously and asks for his help. Max divulges that he wants to have an heir, but not through the usual reproductive method, but through cloning. Max was willing to give a million dollars for the process, and would even provide materials and more money as needed. David initially had many doubts and fears. Despite startling evidence pointing to the possibility of cloning humans after animals, he also feared public and scientific criticisms, especially with regard to ethics. The writer browses through and reads scientific papers of many distinguished biologists and geneticists before deciding.

In the end, David gave in to Max’s request for him to be the “middleman”. David’s job is to find the competent people who can perform the cloning. With his knowledge and contacts, he and Max eventually finds “Darwin”, their principal “cloner” and the others. They do the experiments on a remote island which is governed by Max and their subjects were the natives of that area. They begin tedious work on cloning, including different tests and experiments, applying known and at the same time discovering new methods related to genetic engineering. In the end, they were successful in their endeavor of creation. The ending is left open as the story ends with the “surrogate mother” of the clone (referred to as “Sparrow”) successfully giving birth to a healthy clone.

Biotechnology was the central topic of the novel, as it is chiefly about cloning. Biotechnology is “the practical use of biological processes. It is the use of biological processes or living microorganisms in industrial production. Early examples of biotechnology include the making of cheese, wine, and beer, while later developments include vaccine and insulin production.[1]”
[1] Encarta Dictionary Tools 2005