In “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” Philip K. Dick portrays androids and humans as, in some cases, almost interchangeable beings. The author provides examples of both humans acting like androids, and androids acting like humans. In Dick’s novel, what seems to divide humans and androids is empathy; this can be seen by the fact that the test to distinguish human from android is an empathy test called the Voigt-Kampff test. In this futuristic world of humans lacking empathy, and androids displaying empathy, the defining characteristics that used to separate humans and androids are blurred and almost obliterated completely.
Phil Resch is bounty hunter, but more importantly a human. His job is to hunt down rogue androids and retire them. Similarly to the android Pris Stratton, who, with no feelings of regret “snipped off one of the spider’s legs… restraining the spider with the edge of her hand.” (Dick 206), Resch has the ability to kill without feeling any guilt. Conventionally, a human should have and show feelings, whereas an android should feel nothing. Although Resch passed the empathy test, he still lacks empathy in its entirety. Stratton acts like an android “should”, but not all androids do. Resch eventually, before his empathy test, starts to questions whether or not he is an android. This questioning is precisely one of Dick’s subtle yet convincing blurs in the greyness of human identity.
Although Luba Luft does not question her identity as an android, she still reflects human emotions. This can best be seen by the genuine gratitude she expresses towards Rick Deckard after he offers to buy her a piece of art that she seemed to like. Luft eventually admits to Deckard: “It’s very nice of you… an android never would have done that.” (Dick 134). Luft is touched by Deckard’s act of kindness, and feels thankful. According to society, an android would never have recognized such an action. Another example of an android being confused with a human is Rachael Rosen. Rosen had false memories implanted in her, and for all her life, though she was a human. Even after discovering she was an android, she still seems to feel emotion towards Deckard. At one point, when the two are in a hotel room, she says that she loves him. One being displaying feelings of love to another being certainly seems to be an emotion attached to a “human.
Questions to answer about the essay, Phillip Dick, and the topic of androids
1. Underline what you think are strong claims in the essay and be able to summarize them.
2. Circle examples that are used effectively as support for those claims.
3. What is the author of this essay claiming about sports media?
4. Find in the text a quote or paragraph that is relevant to the topic or this essay
i. Mark that place in the text and prepare to discuss it with a partner or the whole class.
5. Discuss the essay and the book.
6. Write on paper or your blog about the discussion. Focus on one key point that interests you.
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