During Deckard’s investigation of Ms. Luft, she suggests that Deckard is the android, not her, which throws him off. Shortly after, Ms. Luft calls the San Fran. PD to arrest Deckard because she believes him to be a sexual deviant and not a real bounty hunter. At the station, one Deckard had never been to before, he is granted one vid-phone call, so he calls his wife at his home phone number. However, when Deckard dials his house, “It was not Iran. He had never seen the woman before in his life. He hung up, walked slowly back to the police officer.” (Dick 203-4). It is known that androids have implanted memories. Could Deckard’s sad and depressed wife be an implanted memory to keep Deckard at his horrible job? Periodically throughout the next couple chapters, the recurring issue of whether or not Deckard is an android is debated. It is questioned so much that Deckard administers the Voigt-Kampff test upon himself, but he concludes he isn’t an android. Note that Deckard administered the test on himself and it was a shortened and very brief version of the test.
Do you think the clues suggest that Deckard is an android or not? Are they a way to hide some over-arching secret that we have yet to discover, or are they meaningless?
Citation:
Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. New York: Penguin Random House, 1968. ebook.
I feel like the clues definitely suggest the possibility of Deckard being an android. However, at this point, I believe that is the extent. He definitely exhibits patterns and the actions of an android, but he has shown empathy for Luba Loft and has passed the Voigt-Kampff test, which we’ve seen able to deduce Nexus 6’s from human beings. I think there may be some secret to uncover in due time of reading the novel about the nature of Rick Deckard’s existence. The book does make me ponder about Rick often, so I will not be surprised to find out more to him later in the novel.
All signs definitely point to Deckard being an android. Rachel had implanted memories, and I believe it was mentioned that Deckard was very sure that he had taken the Voight-Kampff test, but at an ambiguous time in the past. If life is so precious to the humans on Earth that killing even animals is seen as a taboo, then his cold and callous acts towards androids are somewhat inhuman. This could possibly be explained by the idea that because androids aren’t truly human, they aren’t alive, therefore their existence or death is inconsequential. I think, however the fact that only Deckard is seen using a Mood Organ, so strongly desires to possess a living thing it drives his action, and his otherwise callous behavior signals that he is not quite what he seems.
When Luft suggested that Rick was an Android, I did seriously question it. Rick had been pretty strict about following mercer and the use of the mood organ was weird. These few moments made me question Rick until he did take the VK test. That’s when I realized it wasn’t that he was an android but that he had empathy for the androids. I thought about Isidore, who practices mercerism much stricter than Rick. Then I remembered that Iran was able to program her mood organ to feel things not considered desirable, which we would never allow for if mood organs were for robots. During this time in the book, Rick wasn’t sure how he felt towards robots. He started the book a bounty hunter but by this point he was questioning what makes an android different from a human. This was a true turning point for Rick and his empathy.
I think that the test had a leaning more that Rick isn’t supposed to be seen as an android at this time. The results of the test made it seem like he felt empathy beyond what he was supposed to. Most people seem to see androids as lifeless and don’t particularly care if they are dead. Rick seems to care for them or at least Luft. This would make me think that he has an extra amount of empathy possibly implying that me might be “more human” than most humans.
Much like Rick, I’m not entirely sure. He has doubts, as you mentioned, even going as far as giving himself the Voight-Kampff test, albeit a brief and self-administered version. There are times where he shows empathy, and times where he doesn’t. For example, at least part of the reason Rick wants a real animal, is to make his wife happy. Of course he has other reasons, too, though. As far as wanting to retire Luba in a nice, more humane way, I don’t think that is motivated by empathy. I think that’s simply attraction, and that Rick forgets she’s an android for a moment, or maybe he doesn’t forget and chooses to ignore that fact because of his attraction. So at this point, I can’t really say one way or the other. I’m definitely going to continue reading with an open mind. I hope that Deckard’s true nature is left hinted at, but ultimately up to personal interpretation.
There are clues to Deckard being android, but I do not think that he is an android. Deckard does display the sympathy that humans have. There could be a secret that the androids are trying to hide. Someone could be manipulating Deckard into killing the androids. His police organization, his boss, and his wife may not even be real. He may not even have an electric sheep. Deckard’s whole reality could be fake and this all could be a dream.
Do you think the clues suggest that Deckard is an android or not? Are they a way to hide some over-arching secret that we have yet to discover, or are they meaningless?
The evidence suggests that Deckard is an android, but I could be reading too much into the story. So, I believe the clues are meaningless because the clues show Deckard changing from chapter to chapter. In the early chapters, Deckard is killing androids because they lack empathy, but Deckard has no empathy by killing androids for profit. Later in the book, Deckard changes his behavior when he meets Phil Resch and Luba Luft, so maybe the clues are in the book to throw us off!