Hey hun, I bought a goat with some Andy-blood-money….at least its rea

Wow! What a progression in the plot for these chapters. I also had a mind blowing revelation on the symbolism and reference the Author was making this whole time through the story. I mean it has been something in the back of my head when I was reading the book from the beginning but it wasn’t until near the end of chapter 12 that something in my head just clicked on. The Andy’s are a symbolic representation to what slavery in America was like from the 1600’s till late 1800’s. Let me point out where my mind had a “eureka” moment. In chapter 12 on page 143, Rick and Phil Resch talk about being physically attracted to a female Android “…Don’t you know Deckard, that in the colonies they have android mistresses?” and Rick responds by saying its Illegal and Phil tries to justify saying there many variations of sex that are illegal but people will still do it. I made the connection of how slave owners in America would take advantage of their slaves by raping them even though back then other people frown upon having sex with a slave or a person of color, besides the fact that rape is messed up but besides the point. In the world of this novel the Andy’s are described as “servants” to the emigrants of Mars. And then I started to think about what other symbolic references to slavery and racism can be made in the novel. In chapter 14 page 163, the 3 androids are talking to Isidore and Isidore mentions his mistreatment from the regulars “I’m a special; they don’t treat me very well either” that’s when I theorized on the connection of specials/chicken-heads being a symbolic reference to people of color emancipated from slavery, and just how they were still tormented with racism and mistreatment all the regulars in the novel mistreat and judge Isidore and every other special and is seen in the same category as the escaped Androids. Maybe it’s just a wild idea but thats what I started to realize during chapters 6-15.

 

2 thoughts on “Hey hun, I bought a goat with some Andy-blood-money….at least its rea

  1. This is not a wild idea. This book certainly has a parallel to race issues within america. I have also had this idea in the back of my head. One good piece of evidence you might want to add to your argument is when the book was published: 1968. An important movement was going on when Dick wrote this book.

    • Good stuff. Yeah and I also thought about the time period in which this was made. The whole hippie counter-culture was going on with psychedelic drugs, which could be similar to the effects of the empathy box, altering consciousness. A way to gain enlightenment and put yourself in another dimension. And I believe P.K.D. loved him some drugs lol.

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