In Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Dick distinguishes humans from androids by their ability to develop empathy through the social interactions between androids and humans, in which they highlight each other’s differences, thus Dick reveals that the lack of empathy within human society leads to the misunderstanding and segregation of societal classes.
The characterization of androids and people within Rick’s society displays the potential effects of Dick's society if it refuses to change its ways. As Rick interrogates Luba Luft he proclaims, “An android… doesn't care about what happens to another android”, to which Luba Luft responds “you must be an android...because...your job is to kill them” (94). Luba Luft reveals …show more content…
When Rick goes to test the Nexus-6 the Rosen Association criticizes Rick’s line of work saying, "Your police department—others as well—may have retired, very probably have retired, authentic humans with underdeveloped empathic ability, such as my innocent niece here” (52). The Rosen Association characterizes Rick as a murder because of his inability to successfully classify Rachel as an Android. Thus making Rick appear as inhumane because of the possibility of him killing actual humans. The doubt that Dick creates by characterizing Rick as inhumane causes the reader to question every definition of humanity that Rick give throughout the story. Dick also blurs the line that divides humans from androids as he proposes the possibility that not all humans have the same level of empathy, thus suggesting that empathy can separate one human from another. However, if Rick does retire humans with “underdeveloped empathic ability” it is only because he lacks the ability to understand why they appear different from him. When the foil characters, John and Rick, meet for the first time as Rick hunts for the escaped androids where John refuses to give their location saying, “If you kill them you won't be able to fuse with Mercer”, to which Rick responds, “You won't take me up there?” and Isidore replies, “No” (202). Dick portrays the conflict between the two protagonists as they meet for the first time within the story, causing the theme of humans vs androids emerge as John refuses to tell Rick the location of the escaped androids, Pris, Roy, and Irmgard. As John tries to convince Rick by saying, “you won't be able to fuse with Mercer” the importance of Mercer prevails, showing how the society values Mercer as a god-like figure and how the killing of androids further separate Rick from Mercer, therefore further separating Rick from John. By John suggesting the
The characterization of androids and people within Rick’s society displays the potential effects of Dick's society if it refuses to change its ways. As Rick interrogates Luba Luft he proclaims, “An android… doesn't care about what happens to another android”, to which Luba Luft responds “you must be an android...because...your job is to kill them” (94). Luba Luft reveals …show more content…
When Rick goes to test the Nexus-6 the Rosen Association criticizes Rick’s line of work saying, "Your police department—others as well—may have retired, very probably have retired, authentic humans with underdeveloped empathic ability, such as my innocent niece here” (52). The Rosen Association characterizes Rick as a murder because of his inability to successfully classify Rachel as an Android. Thus making Rick appear as inhumane because of the possibility of him killing actual humans. The doubt that Dick creates by characterizing Rick as inhumane causes the reader to question every definition of humanity that Rick give throughout the story. Dick also blurs the line that divides humans from androids as he proposes the possibility that not all humans have the same level of empathy, thus suggesting that empathy can separate one human from another. However, if Rick does retire humans with “underdeveloped empathic ability” it is only because he lacks the ability to understand why they appear different from him. When the foil characters, John and Rick, meet for the first time as Rick hunts for the escaped androids where John refuses to give their location saying, “If you kill them you won't be able to fuse with Mercer”, to which Rick responds, “You won't take me up there?” and Isidore replies, “No” (202). Dick portrays the conflict between the two protagonists as they meet for the first time within the story, causing the theme of humans vs androids emerge as John refuses to tell Rick the location of the escaped androids, Pris, Roy, and Irmgard. As John tries to convince Rick by saying, “you won't be able to fuse with Mercer” the importance of Mercer prevails, showing how the society values Mercer as a god-like figure and how the killing of androids further separate Rick from Mercer, therefore further separating Rick from John. By John suggesting the