Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: A Social Commentary

The characters in Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? are greatly concerned with what other members of society think of them. An obsession with material objects plagues most characters, and creating the illusion of wealth and intelligence for themselves is foremost on their minds. By establishing these values and placing these concerns in his characters, Dick is likely alluding to his own society’s infatuation with possessions and social status.

In Androids, owning an animal shows that one is wealthy, as most animals in the world died after a World War and nuclear bombing. Rick, one of the protagonists of the story, even owns an electric sheep in order to keep up his appearance as an important member of society. The man is extremely jealous of his neighbor’s horse, and the promise of an owl nearly causes him to take a bribe and violate the rules of his job. In fact, the characters of this society are so preoccupied with the acquisition of these status-raising items that a magazine released every month containing the prices of every animal known to man is a household item. Those citizens who own the rarest or the largest number of animals are the most powerful and wealthy. This society seems to mirror that of the author’s in the 1960’s, during which time owning the newest car, television set, or household appliance was a primary concern of many families—a concern that can still easily be found in people today. 

“‘A lot of people have two animals, even three, four, and like in the case of Fred Washburn…even five…’ The man’s eyes glazed over, imagining such possessions; he drifted by degrees into a trance.” 

These characters are also exceedingly fearful of being labeled “special”. In Androids, people who have below-average intelligence are deemed inferior by society, and become outcasts. J.R., another protagonist in Androids who was determined to be “special” when he was much younger, is extremely worried that others will discover his label, and therefore goes to great lengths to hide his own supposed stupidity around others. He is invariably troubled that his words or actions will divulge his secrets. Even commercials on television bombard the citizens remaining on Earth, implying that said citizens should be extremely worried of being labeled a “special”, and that the only way to end this worry is to move to a colony.  In this manner, Dick references his own society’s obsession with public opinion—an obsession so intense that people will go to extreme measures in order to keep up their own appearance in the public eye.  

“‘Back on Earth, Mrs. Klugman, in the old days, did you also worry about finding yourself classified, ahem, as a special?’ ‘Oh, my husband and myself worried ourselves nearly to death.’”