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Doroids Dream Of Electric Sheep Essay

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Doroids Dream Of Electric Sheep Essay
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In recent years, novels set in futuristic dystopian societies have been popular in literature. The latest teen fiction bestsellers, take place in a post-war future where technology has flourished and the structure of the nation has been upset. It is easy to see that the these novels portray horrendous futures; however, there is some truth to every tale. Throughout the plethora of novels that portray dystopian civilizations, there are common themes of advances in technology, fight for control and loss of humanity. These themes are reflective of the angst in the postmodern American society and can be seen in novels such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip Dick. The parallel between this work and trends in society are …show more content…
was first published by Philip Dick in 1968, but takes place in 1992 following World War Terminus. In the novel, Earth is suffering from fallout and most humans are emigrating to colony planets on Mars in order to avoid contamination. The government used propaganda to lure citizens away from the polluted Earth. Dick takes the reader on a journey with bounty hunter Rick Deckard as he ventures to retire a group of androids. One of the most important motifs found in this novel is animals. After the war, many species of animals went extinct. Because of this, each human is now expected to take care of an animal. Because electric animals can not feel empathy, it is shameful not to own a live animal. Many bounty hunters, including Rick Deckard, apply this concept to androids. Since they are unable to have true emotions, there is no need for their existence. However, throughout the novel, Rick comes to learn that these lines are not so black and white. Are some androids able to feel? Aren’t humans capable of loss of empathy? These are the questions Rick begins to ask himself. He wonders if the definition of a life worth living is accurate at all. Someone reading this novel might think to his or herself, “I’m glad this is fictional,” but is there some truth behind this
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