Rachael's Position In The Community

Rachael’s position in the community is an interesting dichotomy of the community’s disdain toward her as both a woman and a replicant, while her manufactured memories and innate compassion irrevocably connect her to the fabric of society. Blade Runner depicts Rachael’s struggle to exist in a culture that manipulates and abuses her, and continues to do so for the entire duration of the movie.

In the beginning of the film, Rachael initially identifies herself as a human being, with emotional ties to society in the form of memories and perceived bonds with others. It’s evident that her complex emotional constitution that she is intended for the audience to view as a human figure as well. However, upon discovering that she’s a replicant, she is objectified and labeled as an exploitable outcast by society, a potentially lucrative experiment in one moment and a fugitive with a kill order on her in the next. Deckard’s attitude towards her is symbolic of the community’s, reacting with an …show more content…
She is one of three primary female characters, none of them human, and she is the only one of them to survive. Violence against women is strikingly common in our own society, particularly noticeable in acts against sex workers. It’s no coincidence that Pris and Zhora, the only other women in the movie, are killed in violent and dramatic scenes by Deckard, both wearing very little clothing. Their role in Blade Runner’s universe is distinctly sexual in nature, Pris having been designed for prostitution and Zhora posing as an exotic dancer while in hiding. Rachael, although created without any sexual motive, also finds herself a victim of misogynistic action when Deckard sexually assaults her, forcing her to kiss him and presumably sleep with him. Although the objectification and dehumanization Rachael has to face is partially because she’s a replicant, her identity as a woman also plays a huge role in her