Diana and I want Rebecca and Philip to develop their talents and skills naturally- without laboratory findings shaping our ideas about what they might become.
-- Matthew (Part One: Chapter 2)

Importance: While Matthew is talking about the children’s talents in a supernatural context, this debate is still, at its heart, about genetic testing. Some people, like Chris, believe that one should learn everything they can about their genes in order to prepare best for the future. Others, like Matthew and Diana, see that knowledge as an unnecessary roadblock that will prevent their children from finding their true selves by telling them what they are expected to be. Importantly, while Diana and Matthew refuse to test their children at this point in the novel, the author does not show one idea as better or worse than the other. This leaves it open for readers to consider their own feelings and see how they might shift as...