Summary: Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep

The author choices Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep? as the title of the book. This question,it may be asking “ Do human dream of real sheep?. This is a story of a man how to become a androids. The world in the book has experienced Nuclear war, though not immediately completely destroyed the civilization on earth, but radioactive dust floating everywhere for a long time. Only human specials and It has gradually extinguish most animals on earth. Also, there are androids escape back Earth from Mars. Distinguish the difference between human and androids is the theme of the book. Meanwhile, this is the question bothers Rick all the time. Rick’s change also reflected in the presence or absence of his humanity. The story covers a day from the morning to the next morning. Rick retires several androids in the process, experienced many changes,
and then survived several desperation, and experienced several enormous emotional impact. Just within one day, he turned into a new person. Before Rick gets the job, his wife and him live in the world like everybody numbness and vanity. Rick’s marriage is in turmoil. Their life is not happy. HIs wife tired of life and deliberately adjust the “mood organ” which is a emotion generator to the state of deep depression. They have been very numb. They depend on the “empathy box” and the “mood organ” to control their emotion. Empathy is the unique character of human, but they are likely losing it. Even they have a sheep to take care. However, the empathy that they share to the sheep is a sign of vanity. During that time, the world lack of animals, and they are expensive. Rick cannot offer a real sheep so that he bought a electric sheep to imitate a real one to his neighbor. How sick ideal that Rick has, of course, he is not the only one. He need more money to buy a real animal. The author mention that Rick has same feeling about androids and his sheep.
“ the similarity between an electric animal and an andy.” (42) that means he hates both of them. It also shows that why he is good at his job. Rick is police officer who paid by the reward if he retired androids. But, he changed his mind after seeing Miss Luft. Actually she has chance to kill rick but she did not, and try to be more like human, she learned and imitate all about human. She get a job as an actress in the society. Does kill her is necessary for the society? As a humanoid, Garland says “…we lack a specific talent you humans possess.I believe it’s called empathy.”(124) It’s seems like the empathy is only difference between human and humanoid, but how human deal with their empathy? They use the “box” to control their emotion. On the other hand, the humanoids are developing their empathy like Miss Luft. Even Rick feel it’s immoral to kill her, he asked Phil “ Do you think androids have souls?”(135) This shows that Rich is confused now, conscience is tormenting him. He has “special feeling” with Miss Luft, the special feeling may be the
empathy. Rick was suffering to retire more androids and make money for being animals and for life, until he slept with Rachael. Rick’s one-night stand with Rachael is not only the consequence of what happened before, but also is the reason that what happen next. It play a pivotal role in linking the Rick’s transformation process. Rachael has slept with many “hunter” like Rick. Why Rachael slept with him is only wants him share empathy to her then to other androids. Also, she still brough a gun to the hotel. He finally found the impersonality of androids. Rick’s eyes cannot see “it”, it was “she”. Driven his actions are not rationality, but emotional appearance behind the influence. Rick is a human, he has the ability of empathy, but he may been victimized because of the empathy. When Rick killed the last three androids in Isidore’s apartment, he had found the reason that exclude them of his empathy range. He did not feel immoral to kill them after talking to Mercer. About the change of Rick, reader has own option about if it is an ode to humanity or loss of humanity. Phil is undoubtedly better bounty hunter than Rick. But, who is the better man? Human lives more emotionally not rationally. Why reader are in doubt that if Phil is a real person when he killed Miss Luft? Maybe because he lacks of empathy. Which is the unique essence that human have.