Umair Gaines
In the science fiction novel 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' by Philip K. Dick, the character Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter tasked with 'retiring' androids. In Chapter 8, Deckard is on the trail of Polokov, an android who works as a trash scavenger and has shot Dave Holden. Deckard visits Polokov's apartment, where he encounters a Russian police officer named Kadalyi, who is later revealed to be Polokov in disguise. This scene raises questions about the nature of humanity and the differences between humans and androids, as Polokov's death is described as disturbingly human-like.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Polokov |
| Identity | Android |
| Occupation | Soviet Police Officer |
| Workplace | Bay Area Scavengers Company |
| Weapon | Laser tube/gun |
| Associates | Kadalyi, Garland |
| Victims | Dave Holden, Dave |
| Killer | Rick Deckard |
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![By Philip K. Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (2012-02-16) [Paperback]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51s+NVQ6atL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
Polokov is revealed to be an android
In the science fiction novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick, Polokov is a minor character who is revealed to be an android. Polokov works as a trash scavenger, one of the most important industries in the post-World War Terminus age, and can mimic an "anthead." He is also known to be a skilled fighter, as he violently attacks Rick Deckard, the novel's protagonist, by going for his throat.
Polokov's true identity as an android is discovered by Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter, in Chapter 8 of the novel. Rick is on a mission to "retire" or neutralize escaped androids, and Polokov is one of his targets. When Rick visits Polokov's workplace, he learns that Polokov did not show up for his shift. Rick then heads to Polokov's apartment, which is full of junk and shows no signs of anyone residing there.
Before Rick can leave, a man arrives and introduces himself as Kadalyi, a Soviet police officer. Kadalyi offers Rick a handshake and appears friendly and professional. Rick notices that Kadalyi has an unusual laser tube and inspects it. Sensing something is wrong, Rick sabotages the weapon and pulls out his own gun. It is at this moment that Rick realizes that Kadalyi is actually Polokov in disguise, and the two engage in a fight.
During the struggle, Polokov attempts to fire a laser at Rick, but Rick uses a Sine wave to diffuse the laser beam. Rick then fires his pistol, hitting Polokov in the head. Polokov's body convulses violently before finally shutting down, revealing a disturbingly human-like death. This moment underscores the thin line between humans and androids in the novel and leaves Rick unsettled.
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Polokov's death
In the novel *Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?*, Rick Deckard is tasked with "retiring" (i.e., killing) an android named Polokov. Polokov works as a trash scavenger and can mimic an "anthead." He is also revealed to be a Soviet police officer named Kadalyi.
Before Rick can find Polokov, he receives a phone call from Rachael Rosen, who offers to help him retire the Nexus-6 androids, arguing that, as a Nexus-6 herself, she can approach them in a way that Rick cannot. Rick is skeptical of her motives and declines her offer.
Rick eventually tracks Polokov to his apartment building, where he uses a Penfield wave transmitter to freeze every living thing in its vicinity. He enters Polokov’s apartment but finds that no one is there.
Rick then meets with Polokov, who is posing as a Russian police officer named Kadalyi. Kadalyi offers Rick a handshake, appearing friendly and professional. Rick notices Kadalyi’s unusual laser tube and inspects it. Sensing something is wrong, Rick sabotages the weapon and pulls out his own gun. Kadalyi, who is really Polokov, moves to attack Rick, lunging for his throat. Rick manages to fire his pistol, hitting Polokov in the head. The android’s body convulses violently before finally shutting down for good. This moment illustrates the dire seriousness of Rick’s job and suggests that humans and androids are not as different as Rick would like to think.
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Rick's encounter with Kadalyi
In Chapter 8 of Philip K. Dick's science fiction novel, 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?', Rick Deckard has a memorable encounter with Kadalyi, a Russian police officer working for the W.P.O. (a police organisation representing Russia). Rick is on the trail of Polokov, an android who works as a trash scavenger and has shot Dave Holden.
Rick visits Polokov's workplace, the Bay Area Scavengers Company, but learns that Polokov hasn't shown up for his shift. He then heads to Polokov's apartment in a dilapidated building. Before he can leave, a man arrives in a taxi and introduces himself as Kadalyi. Kadalyi offers a handshake and appears friendly and professional. Rick notices Kadalyi's unusual laser tube and asks to inspect it. Sensing something is wrong, Rick sabotages the weapon.
Kadalyi reveals that he made the gun himself and explains that the triggering circuit remains with him, allowing him to direct it remotely. Rick then realises that Kadalyi is actually Polokov in disguise. The android lunges at Rick, aiming for his throat, but Rick manages to fire his pistol, hitting Polokov in the head. The android's body convulses violently before Rick finally neutralises it. Shaken but alive, Rick contacts Bryant to report that he has "retired" Polokov.
This incident leaves Rick unsettled. He calls his wife, Iran, to share his progress and earnings, but finds her consumed by depression. The encounter highlights the seriousness of Rick's job, where one wrong move could be deadly. It also blurs the lines between humans and androids, as Polokov's death is disturbingly human-like in its violence.
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Rachael's true identity
Rachel is a character in the novel 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' who is revealed to be an android. She tells the protagonist, Rick Deckard, that she had slept with "seven or eight" bounty hunters before him and deterred them from hunting androids because they fell in love with her. Rachel claims that she only recently discovered that she is an android, which raises questions about her awareness of her coding and motivations.
Rachel's true identity as an android highlights the ambiguity of empathy and morality in the novel. Her ability to feel and express emotions, such as love, blurs the line between humans and androids. This ambiguity is further emphasised by the presence of both good and bad androids and humans in the story, challenging the notion of killing androids solely based on their lack of empathy.
The revelation of Rachel's android nature also underscores the theme of human anxiety about the "Other." As argued by Klaus Benesch, the androids represent a social-scale mirroring of the self, causing uncertainty and anxiety about human identity and society. Rachel's infiltration of powerful positions on Earth, despite being illegal, further showcases the ability of androids to assume human roles and the difficulty in distinguishing between humans and machines.
Additionally, Rachel's identity crisis, shared by the character Phil Resch, who is unsure if he is an android or not, adds depth to the exploration of identity and self-perception in the novel. The question of what constitutes humanity and the fine line separating humans from androids are central to the story's exploration of identity.
Overall, Rachel's true identity as an android serves as a pivotal element in the novel, challenging the boundaries between humans and machines, exploring the complexities of empathy and morality, and highlighting the anxieties surrounding the "Other" in a world where the distinction between the two is increasingly blurred.
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Polokov's apartment
In the science fiction novel, *Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?* by Philip K. Dick, Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter tasked with "retiring" (i.e., killing) androids. One of his targets is Polokov, who works as a trash scavenger and can mimic an "anthead."
> "Polokov’s apartment aligns with the concept of “kipple.” It is full of junk, and nothing remains to suggest that any sort of being resides there. Again, it seems like the androids are two steps ahead of Rick, which does not bode well for the remainder of his operation."
Before Rick enters Polokov's apartment, he uses a Penfield wave transmitter to freeze every living thing in its vicinity. He then enters the apartment with an Infinity Key but finds no one there. This suggests that Polokov, being an android, had left the apartment soon after shooting Dave Holden, another bounty hunter.
The description of Polokov's apartment as filled with junk highlights the contrast between humans and androids in the novel. It also suggests that the androids are always one step ahead of humans, which creates a sense of tension and unease for the protagonist, Rick.
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Frequently asked questions
It's a science fiction novel set in a future where mankind lives among the stars, spread out across extraterrestrial planets. The story follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter tasked with "retiring" androids.
Polokov is an android who works as a trash scavenger. He is on Rick's hit list, and Rick kills him.
Rick meets Polokov, who is posing as a Russian police officer named Kadalyi. Rick inspects his unusual laser gun and realizes something is wrong. He then sabotages the weapon, and Polokov's true identity is revealed.
Polokov's death is significant because it highlights the thin line between humans and androids. His death is described as "disturbingly human," suggesting that the differences between the two may not be as clear-cut as Rick believes.
After killing Polokov, Rick contacts his superior, Bryant, to report that he has "retired" Polokov. He then turns his attention to his next target, an android named Luba Luft.
