An Analysis of the Novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a very interesting and profound novel by Philip K. Dick. In this novel, the androids are physically similar to that of a human that it becomes impossible to tell them apart from one. Fearing an unpleasant outcome from these artificial humans, the government decides to ban them from earth. The androids then hide their true identity from society and try to blend in. Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter decides to find and terminate the remaining nexus-6 androids in order to obtain the one-thousand dollar reward, and buy a real animal. This novel is relevant to the Marxist theory, which in literature reflects class struggle and materialism. In society, owning an animal is a symbol of status, each individual animal possesses a higher or lower class in society. Rick Deckard kills androids in order to obtain the reward money and buy an animal enabling him to have a higher status in society. The society in which the humans and androids live in establishes how androids are in fear of their lives portrays how they are lower class in society and humans are higher class since they feel empathy and are able to care for animals, which in this society demonstrates status. Do androids dream of electric sheep very well corresponds with the literature critical theory, Marxism.
Marxist is a literary theory that was introduced by Karl Marx (1818-1883). Marxist criticism theory in society is created by capitalism, since they always put people above others, whether they are of a specific race, gender, or status. Marxism is classified in three main groups, which are upper class, middle class and lower class.
After World War Terminus endangered and drove many species into extinction, real ones then became more expensive and rare to obtain. Owning a real animal also demonstrated a high status in society. Many people cannot afford a real animal, but buy one that is electrical just to keep up the pretense. But what was more emphasized was the empathy that humans could feel for animals, which that an android could not feel. In society the Marxist theory is classified into groups. Owning an animal either raised or decreased ones status. In the beginning of the novel we are introduced to Bill Barbour, Rick Deckard's neighbor who owns a horse whereas Rick owns an electric sheep that he purchased after his real one died. When Rick shows him that it is an electronic sheep, Bill says "You poor guy. Has it always been this way?" and after Rick explains why his sheep is electronic, Bill says "Um, I won't say anything to anybody here in the building." implying that Rick has lower value than himself and by Bill stating that he will not reveal what he sees as Rick's "shame" to everyone, it gives a pretext that Bill sees himself as more respectable than Rick's because his animal is of much higher quality than Ricks.
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Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter who is infatuated with animals since before world war Terminus drove most into extinction, desires to obtain a real one once again after his sheep dies. A real animal is very expensive but for Rick to own one would raise his status in society and would make his dream come true. The only way for him to afford a real animal is to terminate the remaining nexus-6 androids and receive the reward money, which is one thousand dollars for each android. In the Marxist theory in literature reflects class struggle and materialism. In the prime example of after terminating three androids, Rick then with the reward money finds his way to purchase an animal, making him materialistic. "Well, I don't usually carry around three thou," Rick conceded. "I thought as much, sit, when you mentioned rabbits. The thing about rabbits, sit, is that everybody has one. I'd like to see you step up to the goat-class where I feel you belong." The sales man convinces that Rick is higher class and in the capitalistic bargain, Rick ends up paying more than three thousand dollars and purchases a goat.
In the beginning androids were invented in order to assist people, and later on they were only used by people in off-colonies after they were illegalized on earth. The remaining androids on earth tried to blend in with society since they appear physically similar to humans. In Marxist criticism theory society is classified by groups. Upper class which are humans, middle class, which are real animals, and lower class which are androids and humans that are mentally deficient from radioactive poisoning."...classed as biologically unacceptable, a menace to the pristine heredity of the race. Once pegged as special, a citizen, even if accepting sterilization, dropped out of history. He ceased, in effect, to be part of mankind." Having feel no empathy is the androids greatest flaw, lacking it separates them from the society in which they live in. having own an animal is a symbol of status but since androids feel no empathy, they cannot take care of an animal and have limited status in society. After killing the nexus-6 androids, Rick Deckard classifies their lower class status, "The electric things have their life, too. Paltry as those lives are."
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An Analysis of the Novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. (2023, Feb 24). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/an-analysis-of-the-novel-do-androids-dream-of-electric-sheep-by-philip-k-dick/
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