Back to animals in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
The connection between humans and their real and synthetic animals is essential to retaining "empathy" in the human population. Mercerism advocates this. However, this devotion to the hypothetically synthetic is a true double standard: Humans refuse to show androids empathy, despite them serving identical roles in the their doppleganging-nature. Synthetic animals exist to allow empathy, and androids exist to be companions to settlers on the harsh frontier of Mars. Moreover, we're aware that taking an android mistress is at least common parlance in the colonies. At some point, because the androids are seeking self-determination, they cross the line into a creature that becomes unworthy of empathy from human-kind.
The connections between animals, humans, and synthetic animals is curious, in light of Rachael and Deckard's relationship. Rachael notes: "That goat... You love the goat more than me. More than you lvoe your wife, probably. First the goat, then your wife, then last of all... What can you do but laugh?" The obsession between animals and status is one thing, but Deckard's obsession with animals goes beyond what would be considered typical. However, much like his relation with Rachael's "model" once he owns the object of his obsession, the object ceases to be an issue to him. Although he may have been preoccupied with murdering the last three "andys" his goat's death troubles him little.
Deckard's discover of the frog is the climax of the novel. Unlike the brief paragraphs where Deckard finishes off the androids, a substantial amount of text it dedicated to Deckard's spiritual awakening and subsequent discovery of the toad. Mercerism apparently reveres the toad, making Deckard's find that much more ominous. Showing more emotion than ever before, Deckard delivers the toad to his wife, who remains unperturbed. The discover of the toad's artificial nature is an elegant twist: Deckard's empathy for the amphibian is genuine, and he is too tired to be shook by the revelation. Deckard accepts that, much like his sheep, perhaps artificiality is acceptable in light of the circumstances.
I'm sort of grasping for threads here, but feel like the core of the novel is not murdering space-robots, but instead the philosophical implications of robot-toads. Please comment~
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
I've been considering the relationship between the animals, both organic and synthetic, and their owners.
On my first reading of Do Androids Dream, I focused on the slightly more tangible relationship between characters and synthetic humans. This is mostly made up of the inter-character dynamics between Deckard/Rachael, Deckard/Resch, Deckard/his bounties, Isidore/Pris. The first three serve as a canvas for Deckards relatively unsympathetic character to be fleshed out upon the variety of Nexus-6's he encounters, typically in the oft mentioned hunter/hunted dynamic. Isidore's encounters with Pris, Batty, and the others allow the reader to encounter the androids in a more relaxed environment, although that doesn't last long.
The "electric sheep" of the world are intended to provide an emotional canvas for those people left on Earth. Mercerism advocates empathy, and empathy in the Deckard's world is expressed through a nurturing dynamic. However, the lack of wholly-organic animals leaves the issue to providing the necessary canvas for the remaining impoverished humans. Enter the artificial animals. Apparently, these contraptions are so cleverly made, that if one is made in the image of previously organic animal, only a long-time caregiver can recognize the difference.
Much like the question, "What is the difference between an android and a human?" the line between an artificial animal and a real one is immensely blurred. The answer to that question is never really explained, but the relationship that the characters perceive or desperately desire with both real and artificial animals is a clear connection to the boom in consumerism in the 1950's and 60's. This fascination with owning the "best mode" of animal, despite that creature potentially being alive, is in sharp contrast to the religious overtones that the characters in Do Androids Dream present it to one another. Androids are also presented in this context, but as our characters are on Earth, the only instances of human-android interaction are as combatants and Rachael, which is an interesting case to be sure.
I'll continue this line of thinking more in my next post.
On my first reading of Do Androids Dream, I focused on the slightly more tangible relationship between characters and synthetic humans. This is mostly made up of the inter-character dynamics between Deckard/Rachael, Deckard/Resch, Deckard/his bounties, Isidore/Pris. The first three serve as a canvas for Deckards relatively unsympathetic character to be fleshed out upon the variety of Nexus-6's he encounters, typically in the oft mentioned hunter/hunted dynamic. Isidore's encounters with Pris, Batty, and the others allow the reader to encounter the androids in a more relaxed environment, although that doesn't last long.
The "electric sheep" of the world are intended to provide an emotional canvas for those people left on Earth. Mercerism advocates empathy, and empathy in the Deckard's world is expressed through a nurturing dynamic. However, the lack of wholly-organic animals leaves the issue to providing the necessary canvas for the remaining impoverished humans. Enter the artificial animals. Apparently, these contraptions are so cleverly made, that if one is made in the image of previously organic animal, only a long-time caregiver can recognize the difference.
Much like the question, "What is the difference between an android and a human?" the line between an artificial animal and a real one is immensely blurred. The answer to that question is never really explained, but the relationship that the characters perceive or desperately desire with both real and artificial animals is a clear connection to the boom in consumerism in the 1950's and 60's. This fascination with owning the "best mode" of animal, despite that creature potentially being alive, is in sharp contrast to the religious overtones that the characters in Do Androids Dream present it to one another. Androids are also presented in this context, but as our characters are on Earth, the only instances of human-android interaction are as combatants and Rachael, which is an interesting case to be sure.
I'll continue this line of thinking more in my next post.
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