Understanding the reading i can see that animals have an important value in the reading. In chapter 2 it starts to describe the downfall of actual animals on the planet due to a war that conducted a radiation attack killing off Owls(birds First). By Rick having an electric sheep he feels that he is a joke because he wants a real animal that can produce emotion. Another thing i see that has value is the exam of telling weather one is an android or human.

If im correct from the first chapter, emotions are controlled when dialed. In a way technology shows dominance in controlling what emotion you want set. The reading gives a futuristic view describing new life (Androids) living among humans. In the last chapter it shows that there is a new version (Nexus 6) which is a closer version of reacting like a human. The passage  shows that since earth is slowly rotting there has been a  new colonization on mars.

I can conclude that all people are even governed by the laws set on the new planet. Chapter 1 shows that the character Rick does mostly the work and his wife stays around all day. In a way even though society has  advanced, the way of living sort of back tracked. This new society doesn’t take to kind rebellious  as in Chapter 2 shows what happen to the character john for going against certain laws in bringing animals back to life.

In the reading so far i don’t not see the society on earth lasting due to the amount of radiation that pumps through. In a way i see this as a warning for humans to beware of the use of resources and not tarnish the earth.

Right off the bat, on page one, you can see that Philip K. Dick is using good imagery and wording to blur the lines between man and machine, and this is what Dick intends on doing throughout the entire story. The major theme of this book is humanity, and what it means to be a human; quite a common theme within the sci-fi genre and anything involving robotics.This theme is expressed through the need of animals in this society, how society determines who is or isn’t an andy (android), and how Decker and other characters seen in the story can be described in very synthetic/mechanical ways.

The animals in this story are extremely important symbols of its theme. To the people of this post-apocalyptic society animals are highly coveted and sought out; they are so coveted that those who can not obtain an animal buy artificial ones instead(pg8), but why? Well, the animals are symbols of class; only those who are wealthy enough can afford to buy a real animal. Additionally, a major corporation in the book, the Rosen Organization,  have a collection of animals on their roof(pg 40). This is one way in which the animals represent human characteristics, such as the pursuit to feel superior to your fellow man. This, however, is but an additional side to what the animals represent. On page 14 Decker says, “I don’t want a domestic pet. I want what I originally had, a large animal.”, they key phrase here is “domestic pet”. Now, why would Dick choose that wording to convey what kind of animal Decker wants? This is Dick’s way of expressing the true meaning of the animals in his story. Domestication of an animal is often seen as taming, and a pet is often seen as a companion that is owned. Undomesticated animals are seen as wild, uncontrollable, and free; furthermore, both domesticated and undomesticated animals are often seen as a symbol of innocence; nothing drives their existence other than their basic animal instincts. The animals of this story are a symbol for the the need of humans to feel like they are in control of themselves and are independent unlike domesticated animals, hence people feel the need to own one. Additionally, animals are only important on earth and not on mars; the people of mars have become dependent on andys, so they do not feel the need to own an animal. On pg 17 the androids are compared to the slaves of the pre-civil war era; in this society andys are seen as slaves; therefore, people feel the need to prove that they are not slaves to anybody, they need to prove their free will, they need to prove that they are not something that can be programmed, they need to prove that they are not andys and actively prevent resembling one. Despite these efforts the animals only further blur the lines between humans and androids. On pg 42 Decker directly compares his electric sheep to a real one, “…he had to tend, had to care about, as if it lived”. Even though Decker wants a real animal, he has to care for his electric sheep like he would a real animal, Decker even feeds it oats. In the text Deckers thoughts about having to care for his sheep as if it were real are in tones of hatred. Decker is full of hate in this moment not because of his lack of a real animal but rather the lack of difference between the two. If something that is mechanical can so easily be compared to something living the same could be done for the andys, being a bounty hunter, that is a thought Decker can not afford to have. That is also why he desperately needs a real animal to replace his electric sheep.

In this book empathy tests are used to determine who is or isn’t an andy. So far honestly my ideas on this are under developed, but I see how important it will be in the story from what we have seen so far. We are told that these empathy tests are the definitive way to determine if someone is an andy in disguise; however Dick also informs us of a major flaw with it: humans that are schizos fail the test. If a human can fail the test then it could also be possible for an andy to pass it. These tests are based on the ability for one to empathize with a fellow being, empathy is dependent on emotion and as we have seen from Rachel, andys can experience emotion; Rachel expressed fear when she thought Decker would retire her. Additionally, previous empathy tests eventually failed to properly identify andys; therefore, andys have continuously shattered the definitions set by the humans over what humans are and what is real. It is only reasonable to expect the andys to shatter those definitions once again.

There are three times in which Dick really caught my attention in his description of other characters in a artificial manner. On the very first page Iran says, “Keep your hands off my settings!”,the word settings really sticks out immediately. Changing the setting on something is often associated with something mechanical: you can change the settings on a phone, t.v, computer, stereo, etc. Additionally, a little later on Decker uses the phrase “I Program…”(pg6), an excellent choice of words. The next two instances happen on chapter 3. Holden, the chief bounty hunter, has been shot by an andy and is in a hospital. It is stated that Holden will be in the hospital for a month until he can get “one of those new organic plastic spinal sections to take hold”(pg 28). Plastic spinal, that’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one. Lastly, when Decker saw Rachel he thought that her(or its) eyelashes were “artificial”. Although Rachel turned about to be an andy she(or again, it) was thought be a human at first by Decker, further showing how similar androids are to humans. Although there are currently only three instances in which humans are described in a synthetic way, I have no doubt that there will be more instances of this throughout the book.

These are only my basic thoughts right now with a lot more in the back of my head. Right now my thoughts are extremely jumbled up so my blog was a little chaotic, so sorry about that. I’m looking forward to reading on and seeing how Dick further explores the question, what defines being human? How can we determine what is and isn’t “real”?

The story ‘Do androids dream electric sheep?”  is a novel that takes place in 1992 after a radioactive fallout that came about after a destructive war known as World War Terminus. This war destroyed most of the Earth, and the United Nations are trying to emigrate to colonies in other worlds to preserve the existence of humans and move them away from the aftermath of the radioactive fallout. The story follows Rick Deckard, who is a bounty hunter for androids.

In Chapter 1, the story starts out with Rick Deckard waking up in this world that is pretty much described as a wasteland due to the aftermath of World War Terminus. Rick also has a wife, Iran, who wakes up besides him because of an alarm that sounded off from something called the mood organ. The mood organs seems to be described as something that you can input commands to acquire the desire to do something. It seems to me that these characters, are androids. The reason why is because of how Iran reacted to Rick when he tried to reevaluate her mood organ. “Keep your hand off my settings” is what Iran said with bitter sharpness (pg. 3) and then she is able to change the command to have a different desire.  They nearly have an argument and Iran threatens him with just a few commands (pg. 4) to process in her mood organ in order to make the argument into more of a battle. Rick tries to avoid this dilemma and just sits down and admits defeat. Iran thinks of Rick as a murder, but in reality Rick only kills “andys”, short for androids. Their community seems to be running on a low population with empty apartments because of the radioactive fallout. A lot of the neighbors and even Rick & Iran themselves, have a pet. It seems to be a law for every homeowner or family, that they have to take care of a pet (it was a part of the law before the war). Rick owns a sheep, but unfortunately not a real one. It is described as an electric sheep that was built because Rick’s original sheep (that was real) died due to a disease called tetanus. When Rick discusses with his neighbor on what happened to his original sheep and having a pet shows a lot of importance to this society. Rick now has an electrical sheep that was created to be portray a real sheep but when he looks at the control panel of the electric sheep, it made him depressed. But then, he inputs the command to be businesslike for work.

In Chapter 2, we learn more about World War Terminus and how it made an enormous impact on Earth. It destroyed many individuals as well most of other lifeforms on Earth. People then emigrated to outer space where it’s the last place for them to go and search for new planets to live on. After the war, a disease began to spread to those who live in Earth still. An important character who caught the disease was John Isidore. He lives by himself in an apartment and carries an object called an empathy box. When he turned it on it showed a TV image with random colors and trails. When the visual image was clear, a single elderly man appears wearing a robe. The man in the image is Wilbur Mercer. Wilbur looks like he represents all that’s left of humanity for the rest of the individuals who still living on Earth. With the power of the empathy box, John can fuse mentally and spiritually with Wilbur and feel what is happening in their own vision. It starts out rough with pain and rocks being hurled at Wilbur. As the torment continues a quick sudden change to a different part of Wilbur. It goes back to a happier setting. The exact location was unknown but we’re able to see Wilbur’s foster parents, Frank and Cora Mercer. He lived with animals, and “had in fact been able for a time to bring dead animals back as they had been” (pg. 24). Wilbur did this in secret to hide from the rest of society in case if he would be classified as a freak and get arrested for being able to perform an action like this. Once he was caught, he was plunged and sent him into a different world, where the creatures he loved vanished and were extincted.

In Chapter 3, Rick is on his way to work and passes by a pet shop. He shows interest in an ostrich and considers buying it but he is living under poverty and can’t afford it. Rick is a bounty hunter and works for the Hall of Justice. He then finds out from the other hunters within the facility that one of his fellow bounty hunters was shot. There were new androids created called the Nexus-6 brain unit that are extra clever. Rick felt irritable after all of the commotion of what’s going on with the Nexus-6 because they surpass several classes of human specialties in terms of intelligences. “Androids equipped with the new Nexus-6 brain unit had from a sort of rough, pragmatic, no-nonsense standpoint evolved beyond a major – but inferior – segment of mankind” (pg. 30). This tells me that these androids are still dangerous to mankind and could go against it’s master. Rick recalls his experience with Wilbur or the following of Mercerism. He describes it as an “experience which he, and virtually everyone else… managed with no difficulty” (pg. 31). Rick then reflects to that experience and begins to theorize about life, how living things have to survive by going for its prey, and if they don’t, all predators would pretty much starve to death. This chapters seems to be about Rick’s mind battling between humanity and technology. Rick then goes back to the animal shop to see the ostrich. He tries to barter with the salesman and didn’t work out so much.

In Chapter 4, Rick has a meeting his boss, Inspector Bryant, to speak about the death of the bounty hunter that was announced in chapter 3. Inspector Bryant explains to Rick that he is not sure if the new Nexus-6 brain units would work with the Vogit-Kampff test (empathy test), which can endanger Rick if he tries to eliminate them, but Dave considered it to be accurate in the past. Inspector Bryant then tells Rick about the Rosen family and how it can be beneficial to them. Bryant wants to make a deal and see if they include several humans, as well as androids. Bryant then places Rick as acting senior bounty hunter. Rick visits the Rosen family in Seattle, known for their android creations, and meets with Rachael Rosen. As he is escorted to the conference room, Rick sees animals that he had never seen before. First was the raccoon which he had only seen it from 3-D films, but none were available for purchase anywhere. He looked at a transaction involving a purchase of a raccoon, and it was described as “astronomical”. I assume this means that it was a very expensive animal to purchase.  Rachael shows Rick an owl which are known to be extinct in this day and age (pg. 41). He believed it was just an artificial owl but it was a real one. Rick then meets with Eldon Rosen and discuss similarly of what Rick and Bryant were discussing earlier, the compatibility of the Vogit-Kampff test with the Nexus-6 brain units. Before his discussion with Eldon, Rachael notified Rick that all of their current outputs are equipped with the Nexus-6. Eldon allows Rick to do his tests, and takes out a “flat adhesive disk with its trailing wires” (pg. 46) of his briefcase. Rachael then questions how does the test show its results. The disk gives a response that will allow it to point respiration, cardiac rates, and another pencil-like instrument that can record the tensions within eye muscles. Rachael asks Rick to giver her the test. This chapter seems to focus a lot on Ricks fear of androids, and if the Vogit-Kampff test isn’t accurate?, how can someone tell if these new androids aren’t dangerous?

In Chapter 5, Rick begins the test on Rachael. He asks her to follow certain steps, which is apart of the test and she willingly does as shes told. He asks her questions and she gives her own answer to it. It doesn’t seem like this test has a right or wrong answer, it’s more of a “do you fall under this category, or this one?”. As he asks more questions, he comes to a conclusion that Rachael is an android. Eldon Rosen then interrupts and tells Rick that he is wrong and she is not an android. Rick becomes in denial and wants proof that she is not an android. As Rachael leaves, Eldon explain to Rick why she was considered as an android. In the end, Rick found the flaw and points out that the Rosen’s method of operation is the problem. The organization were creating what the colonists wanted and if their firm didn’t create more human type androids then they would of probably been out of business. Eldon also points out that he had cameras in the room, and Rick let the Rosens void the testing apparatus before he started the test on Rachael. This was a colossal error, which put Rick’s job on the line. They continue to discuss and Rick asks if Rachael can answer one more question from the test. He then points out his briefcase and strokes the surface as he describes what it is made of. He observes her reaction to the briefcase for a fraction of a second and then gathers his equipment and gets ready to leave. The Rosens wonder why all of a sudden he’s done when he needed to test other subjects, and he quickly proves that Rachael is indeed an android. Rachael does become a bit scared but Rick tells her he will not retire her. As he leaves the organization he suspects Rachael to be one of the Nexus-6 units. Now he must strive his way to earn his bounty money while trying to stay alive.

In conclusion, this story so far is still very confusing. A lot of the pieces of the puzzle aren’t shown yet, and there is a lot to assume. I’ve never read this story before, so I’m not sure what to expect but so far it seems like things are going to get ugly when it comes to the androids expanding and evolving if that does happen. Chapter 5, was probably the only chapter which confused me the most mainly with the conversation Rachael, Eldon, and Rick were having.

I reread Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep last weekend but for this post, i’ll be covering some ideas from the first 5 chapters. I think the thing that sticks out to me the most early on in the book is how bleak the future is in this book. This is a universe where most of the population has migrated to space and a persons emotional state can be set using a mood organ [1]. The dregs of society, or specials are stuck on Earth. A war (World War Terminus) occurred sometime in the past that devastated the planet, to the point that owning certain animals can be a status symbol in and of itself. The need for owning an animal is so strong that humans will even keep lifelike robotic animals in place of a live one. Rick Deckard is somewhat ashamed of owning his electric sheep, as shown by his conversation with his neighbor in chapter 1. The chapter concludes with him actually showing a bit of vindictiveness towards his neighbor [2] causing Barbour to act nervous. This tone helps to show how desperate Rick is to replace the fake sheep.

Rick is a bounty hunter who doesn’t hunt humans, but androids or “andy’s”. These robots flee to earth occasionally from the outer worlds. Rick uses the teachings of Mercerism to justify hunting and “retiring” these andy’s [3]. To Rick, the andy’s are no better than animals, and in recalling this fact his mind is drawn back to owning an animal. It is so important to him that he goes after five of the latest models, androids that were able to get the better of his superior Holden.

To retire an android, a test must be given that a trained professional, Rick, can then use to determine if the person being tested is human or an android. The Voigt-Kampff Altered Scale is the most recent process and has not been proven to be 100% accurate in detecting an android. Rick has to go to the manufacture of the Nexus-6’s to determine if it will work on an android. Here is another instance to emphasis how much Rick wants a real animal. He is willing to go out in the field with an unproven test. His boss forces him to do this check first, which had it not been an order, Rick would have probably skipped and the story would probably have ended with his death or in the best case, in a hospital bed like his superior Holden.

By following the teachings of Mercer, ones identity is shown by your right and ability to own an animal. Rick comes across as a man who is close to the breaking point. He does not really seem like a man who really believes in Mercerism, but he does follow some of the principles. Whenever he has free time, he pulls out his copy of Sidney’s Animal & Fowl catalog [4] to check prices. When he visits the Rosen Corporation and sees the advanced copy of the book, he confiscates it [5]. His jealousy/envy of the animals he saw on display led to this act, and it causes a moment of awkwardness among those in the room. After administering the test, he is offered a bribe consisting of an owl, and you can almost see the inner turmoil that must be going on in his head.

It seems that RIcks identity is incomplete without an animal. Its almost as if owning an animal is the only thing that will make him human. Perhaps by destroying the androids, not only is he earning his way towards a real animal, but they are acting like a surrogate for the removal of his electric sheep.

[1] Page 3.

[2] Page 14 2nd to last paragraph.

[3] Page 31 last paragraph.

[4] Pages 32-33

[5] Page 45-46

Just thought i’d share this, saw it linked a little while ago… Electric Sheep!

Chapter 1-2

Do androids dream of electric sheep? has everything science fiction story should have. In chapter one we begin in the home of Rick Deckard and his wife. It starts with the two waking up and setting a mode to how they want to feel when they wake up. This shows me that this society do not truly have emotions or they have gotten to a point where technology has taken away the power to feel. For example when Rick wakes up he sets his mode to ready to go and face the world, while his wife sets it to a mode where she does not wanna get out of bed. After him and his wife have a fight about there modes Rick goes to the roof of his building to take care of his animal. In this society everyone has an animal, some are live ones and some are electrical ones or android animals. We learn that Ricks sheep just died of tetanus and he replaced it with an electrical one. He then talks to his neighbor about his sheep and his neighbor promises not to tell anyone about his sheep. Rick tells him that he should be careful because his horse could die too. This shows that in this society having an animal is a very important. Its almost like having a cell phone in our society cause everyone has one.

Chapter 2 was a bit confusing to me, i kind of got lost while reading it and i had to reread it a couple of times. We learn in this chapter that there was a World War called World War Terminus and that it basically destroyed all of the people and animals remaining on earth, which is why people emigrated to outer space. This explains why electrical animals were created in the first place and why having a live animal is very rare. Certain people who were on earth after the war caught a special disease and we are introduced to one named John Isidore who lives in apartment building all by himself. Since he is a lonely man he uses a thing called an empathy box where he merges with the mind of Wilbur Mercer which is described as a futuristic Jesus. While using the box he also merges with other people using a empathy box and they are climbing a mountain, but while climbing John gets hit with a rock disconnecting him from the box and actually leaving a wound on him in the real world. This shows that the technology is so advanced that even in a virtual reality you can get hurt, does this mean you can die in virtual world and die in real life? The chapter ends with John hearing that someone else moved in to his building and he does not know how to introduce himself.

 Chapter 3-4   

Chapter three begins with Rick on his way to work. Also Rick is a bounty hunter who hunts androids because in this society androids are frowned upon. On his way to work Rick sees an ostrich in the pet shop window and he considers buying it, but knows he does not have enough to get it. Although he does want another animal so he can have two. When Rick gets to work he hears that one of the bounty hunters at his job was killed by a new android the nexus six which is a smarter and more realistic android that can blend in the humans. This makes his job even harder, but they have a test that tests a persons empathic level because an android is more likely not to have to much empathy. Rick also calls up the pet shop to try and bargain for the ostrich, but is disappointment and he also calls a fake pet shop and asks how much an electrical one would be and it is significantly cheaper. This chapter shows that even in this society where feelings are diminished people still find a way to hate on someone else or something else in this case being androids.

Chapter four begins with Rick having a meeting with his boss to discuss the bounty hunter who was killed. Rick is told that there are eight nexus six androids, but the bounty who was killed got two of them and that six remain. Rick is told that they don’t know if the empathy test (Vogit-Kampff test ) will work on the nexus six androids. So Rick takes a hover car to the Rosen Association in Seattle which is where the test are created. Upon arrival Rick meets Rachel Rosen and she leads him to the conference room. While going through the building she shows him there animals and one is an owl which are supposed to be extinct. Rick asks her how much the owl would be and she laughs telling him that its not for sale and even if it was he could not afford it. Rick meets with her uncle Eldon Rosen and they discuss the nexus six androids and the vogit-kampff test. Eldon suggest that Rick should use the test on his niece Rachel. This chapter shows that not being able to determine the new androids strikes fear in to Rick because he does not wanna be killed. It also continues to show peoples obsession with animals and that who has more can brag the most. Rick also mentions what if all of the androids minds are connected with the mechanical animals like his sheep, which is a way of mentioning the title do androids dream of electric sheep? I like how the author included that.

  Chapter 5   

During this chapter Rick administers the test to Rachel, during the test there are some really odd questions asked about animal cruelty, abortion, love and other factors. It does make sense to use these different topics to see someones empathy or how they react. After the test he says based on the test Rachel is an android, but Eldon tells him she is not. Rachel defends herself for not being one as well and all three go back and forth about how the test either works or doesn’t work. The Rosen’s then try to bribe Rick with the owl if he keeps quiet about the test failing. He considers it, but then he tells Rachel what his briefcase is made out of and she has late reaction and this proves that Rick was right about her being an android. He consults with Eldon asking hi  if she knows she is an android and he says no and also tells him the owl is a mechanical one. Rick leaves and now knows the test works on Nexus six androids and looks forward to getting paid. This chapter shows that the nexus six are so close to humans that even some of the androids, don’t even know what they truly are. Though it makes you think why didn’t he kill her if she was an android? did he feel empathy? or was it just because she wasn’t on his list of androids to retire?