Analyzing Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: We're not Like the Others... or are we?

[@bryanbreezy]

So sad when rick's goat was murdered

[@turquoisesnowflake4613]

I cared about the goat more then I cared about Rick

[@dualantauri]

@@turquoisesnowflake4613 Than*

[@chrismirell2822]

Who's to say it didn't fly when pushed? It's the FUTURE.

[@markd.2260]

Not that I’m some literary critic, but I am an English teacher, and that was one damn good summary and analysis. Thanks!

[@tomshrosbree1189]

I have to cover this book for an essay i'm writing and although ive read the book, you really helped me pin down the broader themes and ideas of it, great video and thank you!

[@penelopegreene]

I was a new dad then and I can tell you that the world has been absolute shit since 1992. PKD 1 Everybody Else 0

[@rickshawjones8591]

Just listened to the audiobook. I think bounty hunters are needed. Listening to the scene with the spider, I was nearly shouting for her to stop. And then what happened to the goat was unforgivable. They are all sociopaths. They are building sociopaths. And it's not like a natural animal like a cat that does murderous things. These are beings more intelligent than us, that did not earn that intelligence for the most part. The only immortality is building them in the first place.

[@whitelotus6230]

you said it

[@elle4630]

How do you know that they’re all sociopaths? And do you think that bounty hunting is the only option in this scenario?

[@dariav.9275]

There’s a small detail which only gets mentioned in passing, but it’s pretty important. In order to flee from Mars to Earth an android has to kill the human they serve. So a rogue android is by definition a murderer. Kinda makes hunting them less morally questionable

[@PlotsAndPoints]

I suppose it depends one where you draw the line at a murder being immoral. If you were being used as slave labour and you killed your master that saw you as nothing but property would you think the person hunting you down to kill you was morally justified?

[@Sambrowski10]

I'm not sure it's that black and white in the text, it may be the perceived view of Deckard, but his view isn't accurate, as he is subject to unreliable information. Ultimately, humans/androids are both as likely as each other to be violent when threatened, or when they conform to us v them ideology.

[@Whotfeatssoap]

This could also be another level of the society's progression of the othering. They tell the people that Andys have to kill their humans, but why should the reader believe it to be so. The main theme of the book is the question of fakes.

[@markd.2260]

I could be wrong, but I do think that’s a detail that is only in the movie, but I could be wrong. If I’m not wrong, escaping a life of servitude is quite moral and should not be a death sentence.

[@alexarea315]

What do you think of how androids affect class dynamics in the novel? I think we can say that there are 3 types of classes represented in the novel: humans, androids, chickenheads. On Mars, androids are slaves and the female androids specifically are referred to as android mistresses, however, when they come to Earth, they hold a variety of different positions. The androids' inability to be differentiated from the humans potentially blurs the lines between class distinctions. However, upon discovery of their android status--regardless of the position that they hold in society--automatically registers them at a lower place on the social hierarchy. Can we say that there is an actual class structure in the novel, maybe one that is perhaps based on moral/intellectual/empathetic grounds?

[@PlotsAndPoints]

That's a really great question! I think rather than a class system, it's more of a caste system. A class system is a reflection of differences in economic status granting access to cultural capital in the way of better education, access to exclusive 'high culture' and connections with other 'high class' individuals. The half-lie of class structures is that there is some level of social mobility promised by the system, if you're able to get educated, work hard to earn money and invest the time to emulate the higher classes you could 'rise above your station ' in theory. (In practice this doesn't work because of inherent class gatekeepers) What you're talking about is more of a caste system, where due to some sort of inhereted difference you are stuck in a position within a social heirarchy and can only ever hope to work within that level. Androids look the same as humans but are seen as 'subhuman' due to their origin as a created organism. Chickenheads are also seen as 'subhuman' because of their differing mental states. I think it does demonstrate the flaw in caste systems that they are entirely fabricated by the dominant group as a means of control. The real class commentary comes from those that own real animals and those that do not. The act of owning and caring for a real animal is a performance of class sensibilities, a way of saying "we may both be technically the same but I am still better than you." It also plays out as an American Dream narrative. With enough hard work and can do spirit you too could be a real animal owner! I think with that lens it's interesting that Rachael chooses to kill Dekkard's goat instead of him at the end. It's an act of violence not against him, but of his symbol of privilege. It shows how fragile such external displays of class are and leaves him only with what he really is.

[@rickshawjones8591]

But they can be differentiated. People throughout the novel did it. Evan a chickenhead

[@chica3824]

very informative. thank you plots and points.

[@PlotsAndPoints]

thanks. It wasn't as in-depth or coherent as I wanted it to be. Still learning!

[@The-illuminated]

@@PlotsAndPoints we want details

[@TeatroGrotesco]

Good job. Don't feel it is really about profiling, but i understand your plot and point---of view. I feel it isn't so subtily about empathy. Rachel's use of Dekkard, to either find the weakness of the nexus 6 so they can do better in the 7, & then to make use ofhis empathy thru love/sex to make it hard for him to kill any more Andies abuses Dekkards empathy, then to show her lack of it she throws his goat off the roof after his success with the Battys and Pris.

[@dariav.9275]

Second that. I also see this as a story about empathy and it’s role in making a human a human. It’s done by comparing humans and androids and the main difference about them is empathy

[@goatwarrior3570]

@Sparkle Plenty He fell into the trap of interpreting a historic work through a modern lens and trying to define said work as being focused on social issues that are fashionable to talk about in our current era. Maybe if he had done this analysis thirty years ago he would have declared it to be a criticism of apartheid or rain forest destruction. Maybe if he remakes it in thirty years he'll declare it to be about transhumanism.

[@bebopgaming7254]

@@goatwarrior3570 Kinda love this response. 🍻

[@al2642]

Wait a second... so... do they dream of electric sheep or not?!

[@PlotsAndPoints]

No. Because electronic animals are garbage, obviously

[@al2642]

@@PlotsAndPoints mmmm I would bet they do...

[@kylacruz2888]

I think it's figurative. Do Androids long to be accepted by society as humans do? Then yes

[@kristinabliss]

Its reflecting the empathy test.

[@DUKEHadToDoItToEm]

"how do you draw a poor person" easily, you just put a can of PBR in his hand

[@EoinWest]

Really enjoyed this, thank you - a great refresher. You made some interesting points that I hadn't all collated

[@liamgrosvenor4855]

anserd phone "rick goat kil" "no"

[@princessboris]

Great video, thanks !

[@viterok89]

1/ what about the relations between: a) deckard - found toad and despair when he realises it's actually electric; b) chickenhead - spider when he releases it; c) androids - spider when they are curious whether it would be able to move 2/ what is behind the moment when deckard speaks to mercer and thinks he is actually mercer, what is the relation of chickenhead to mercer and how he perceives him?

[@TheComicChild]

Why can't the android's communicate that they wish to not work for humans? Perhaps the words I am searching for is "effectively communicate/transmit meaning viewpoint", or are these words too similar to empathy?

[@Mister_W.T.F]

Brilliant review

[@rickshawjones8591]

I don't understand how people are coming away with these points. Phil Resch didn't kill her from my point of view out of a hatred for androids. He may have hated them, and enjoyed killing them, but the book went to great lengths to show his mind was compromised. What he did would be considered murder or close to it if she was human. But he was insane at that point. To tell you the truth, its the weakest part of the book. If he was working for androids, who was he retiring? Was the corporation designing androids to keep him busy? Was the cop an android?

[@PlotsAndPoints]

Really my only point about that part is that he didn't have any empathy for Androids, felt no remorse for killing them etc. and the ability to be empathetic is the major defining characteristic of 'human' in the world of the novel. Once we see that humans can also blindly kill with a lack of empathy too then it raises the question of if there really is such a big difference between humans and Androids after all, especially if they're going to be mercilessly persecuted for it

[@Fridelain]

Weakest was when Deckard failed to smell the giant puddle of dried blood a couple meters in front of him as soon as he stepped into his bosses office.

[@aidenblack9639]

What part do you feel religion plays apart from just being a source of belonging for people, what do you think Dick was trying to achomplish by created it? would love to hear your thoughts great video

[@deslokkk]

Rachel means sheep in Hebrew.

[@andrewledbetter4112]

Are they really machines in the book? I know people say that about the movie too, but they're really more like enhanced clones. Are they truly machines in the book?

[@PlotsAndPoints]

I guess the idea of machines as we would consider them doesn't strictly apply, you're right that they are bio-organic and sentient so cultivated clones would probably be more accurate.

[@og8263]

I think they're similar to the hosts in Westworld, their mind or brain unit is completely mechanical but they have some biological elements and do eat

[@ryantavera8729]

1:53

[@acacacacacacaccaca7666]

despite being 0.00001% of the population of earth androids commit 100% of the murders

[@dragonverde188]

Why did you stop doing videos in this format ? it was just a matter of time for you channel to explode in views

[@PlotsAndPoints]

Alas, I no longer have access to the professional artiste program that is MS paint 😭

[@rustyxof]

How is Mercer a scam when Rick becomes One with Mercer? The image of God is made by humans and thus is not the real God. This does not negate their being God as is shown in the final act of the story.

[@PlotsAndPoints]

Because it's explicitly stated that he was hired to do the job, Mercer is an actor, mercerism was an engineered form of controlling the populace. You could argue that that makes it no different to other organized religions and I'd agree with you. It's all a con

[@PlotsAndPoints]

And does Rick really 'become one with Mercer' or does he have a psychological break after a very long and stressful day where some of the core things he believes in were fundamentally shaken and he went a bit nuts after plugging his brain into an immersive simulator

[@TheFuryKnight]

Do you really think i would care about Android freedom it a machine treat it like them, also I'm only relating to novel definitely my human ok

[@PlotsAndPoints]

They have thoughts, feelings, wants and desires, they can bleed, they can die, they're cognizant of the fact that they can die, what exactly makes them 'just a machine'

[@ottersosa895]

You definitely missed the point Bozo. Go record pubg mobile videos instead of doing things like this

[@ramorente]

HELLO I'M RAUL

[@mmartinisgreat]

Boba fett sucks.

[@PlotsAndPoints]

For sure. Most overrated bounty hunter in fiction bro