Symbolism In 'Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep'

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep/ Blade Runner (symbolism) Often times novels and movies are written and produced and most generally all include some type of symbolism. Types of symbolism can be shown through a physical item or even an idea. Symbolism can be used to shape one specific character or a society as a whole. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, symbolism is best shown through Mercerism, the almost Godly figure in this novel. Much like God, Wilbur Mercer created this religion and it is followed by a large number of people. We first see Mercerism in chapter two while Isidore is in his apartment. Isidore was about to leave for work, but then turned around and went to the empathy box, where Mercerism is present. It consists of two handles, once grasped it leads to another virtual world. “He saw at once a famous landscape, the old, brown, barred ascent, with tufts of dried-out bonelike weeds poking slantedly into a dim and sunless sky”(Dick 22). I see this as symbolizing “heaven” although not in the exact same way. When I think of heaven, I think of a depicted world much like Mercerism, only with sunshine. It seems to me it would be a somewhat “familiar”
This could be because it would be such a difficult part of a story to incorporate into a film. In contrast to the novel, the movie was strictly based on Rick Deckard and his ability to kill the Androids.(Replicants) The novel took a look into the characters themselves, and specifically how Mercerism played a part in their lives. Wilbur Mercer was the Godly figure throughout the novel. He made it possible for the people using the empathy box to feel closer to others. He also made the people question what was real and not real and left it to them to decide if they believed. This is symbolic in today’s world. The religious faith is left for each individual to