This is an
element of Dick's novel that suggests that Deckard is more machine than human: in the first
paragraph, the "merry" surge of electricity brings Deckard to life, perhaps alluding
to the electricity that animates Frankenstein's monster. The machine bring life to the human --
a greatbegins the novel.
The mood organ really only appears in the first and
last chapters, bracketing Deckard's experiences in the novel, and it seems to provided an
integral mediator between Deckard and his wife.
As a symbol, then, the
Penfield Mood Organ stands for that which takes the edge off of life, in a positive way to allow
Deckard to function, but in a negative way that deadens his humanity.
No
matter how many times I read Androids, I'm always tickled and disturbed at
the relevance and poignancy of this device. In lives that are increasingly mediated by our
technologies (including pharmaceuticals), are we becoming less lively than our own machines?
What are the implications?
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