Summary Of Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep

The novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, revolves around a post-apocalyptic world after WWT (World War Terminus), where the presence of escaped androids, Nexus-6 types that left Mars, are a danger to the remaining humans on earth. Nexus-6 androids are identical to that of an actual human, but empathy which is the ability to share feelings or understand them, is used to distinguish an android from a human. In the novel, humans are tied to the idea of possessing empathy, which is considered to be the most important trait to have as a human, yet humans are not so empathetic. This can be drawn from the following instances; the results of WWT, how “specials” are treated, the individual Phil Resch, the “retirement” process
The special, John Isidore, was called a “chickenhead,” which is a derogatory term used towards specials during many scenes within the novel. An instance would be when Isidore accidentally killed a real cat, as the text mentions, “The chickenhead, Sloat said, brought it in. Never before had he used that term in front of Isidore.” (77). It’s evident that specials are not treated kindly by normal humans as they are insulted due to their condition, which is caused by the fallout. Sloat is fully aware that the term, “chickenhead,” makes Isidore feel uncomfortable and more unappreciated as a human being. Individuals such as Sloat, are willing to give specials, like Isidore, a chance to become part of the human race due to his current job. But once an error was committed, due to Isidore killing the cat, Sloat appears to have regretted his decision entirely. In addition, if humans were more empathetic towards people that were considered special, then they wouldn’t have to make them feel like outcasts from humanity. The IQ test that is given to individuals after WWT, which dictated if an individual is a special or a regular human, mostly depends if they meet the requirements or not. The IQ test also determined whether or not
Rachael then began to talk about her other clients, others that she seduced, which just so happened to include Phil Resch. Rachael mentions, “No bounty hunter has ever gone on, after being with me. Except one. A very cynical man. Phil Resch. And he’s nutty; he works out in left field on his own.” (198). The term “cynical” is a great representation of the character Resch, as his self-interests overshadow the interests of anyone else’s. Therefore, Resch is a perfect example of a human that possesses no empathy towards other individuals, actual or artificial beings