Monday, February 25, 2008

Chapters 3-5

Rick Deckard is a very complex character. I am having trouble deciding whether or not there are any real human beings in this novel. If these people use an artificial mood organ, how are they human? Wouldn't they be classified as androids if their moods are artificial? What really confuses me is that Rick obviously has emotions that are not ones that he "dialed". How could he possibly think that he was fooled into thinking that Rachael was an android, but then figuring out that he was fooled into thinking that she wasn't and that he was set up to think that she was...if that makes any sense. I just don't see how he has an instinct like this (to check one last time because he knows his test is correct) if he doesn't somehow "dial" this instinct into the Penfield mood organ.
Elden Rosen is a little sketchy. He creates what Rick thinks is a Nexus-6 android and asks Rick to perform the Voigt-Kampff test on "her" (Rachael). Elden Rosen makes Rick think that he is being fooled into thinking she is an android, when she is really Rosen's 'innocent niece'. Here's the confusing part: Rachael is really an android and Rosen wants Rick to think he was fooled, but the test was correct the whole time. I don't understand why Rosen is getting the police department to hunt down the Nexus-6 androids when the Rosen Association is responsible for creating these things and obviously knows how to identify them. I think the Elden Rosen is not to be trusted and Rick Deckard should be skeptical about working for him.

My Questions:
1.) Why is Rick Deckard, along with anyone else, considered a "normal" if he uses an artificial mood organ? Why is that "human"?

2.) How much does the mood organ really control if Rick still has some sort of instinct: if he could detect Rachael as an android without help from his mood organ?
3.) If the Rosen Association can create the Nexus-6, why can't they control them?
4.) Are the androids trying to eliminate all human beings? Is Earth going to consist of all imitation humans and animals if the androids have their way?
5.) Should androids be classified as inferior if humans and androids are merging (specials?)? How can the police department and the Rosen Association justify the reasons why the androids must be killed?

1 comment:

malcolm said...

for # 4, my guess is that the androids want revenge on those who have enslaved them.