Literary Analysis Essay on Blade Runner

Introduction

The dependency on technology has been on the rise, and technological advancements continue to take effect with time. Human beings have now accomplished the mission of creating human-like robots. A new series of debates, shows, video games, and films have sparked as a result of the ethical consideration on the rise of the robots. As people envision the possibility of robots taking a significant role in society, they need to also think of how they should behave towards other human beings. This paper seeks to explain some of the moral and ethical values that should be induced in robots, at the time when they will be agents of their rights.

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The making of robots has been a fascinating subject to people over the years. It has evolved to involve more people other than ordinary robotic engineers. The engineers now use the help of artists to design human-like robots instead of the used metallic rectangle or circular robots. Artists are currently involved in making the skins of the robots less clunky and similar to that of humans. The latest technology allows the robots to capture the micro-movements of the face such as frowns and blinks.

While the advancement of human robots is a fascinating intellectual exercise, there is uncertainty in the future implications when it will be hard to differentiate robots from human beings. The outcomes have the potential of being beneficial as well as catastrophic. Proponents state that robots could be used to perform mindless tasks and leave humans to do purposeful work. It is reported that robots are suitable for performing duties related to security, health and the quality of life. It is proposed that robots could issue a helping hand in providing company to the elderly, the isolated, the disabled and those who are lonely.

However, robots have the potential of causing adverse harm to people. They have the possibility of malfunctioning and crushing people when given the incorrect commands. They could also be used to exploit the weak people psychologically. Human beings could be addicted to them, and lazy around as robots can do every task as per their command. Addiction to robots could also cause social isolation n society.

The Story of Blade Runner

The Blade Runner's antagonists are human-like robots called replicants. They are programmed to be aware of their artificiality. It is seen that the Replicants evolve to reach the point of being fully intelligent like real human beings. Replicants are perceived to be attacking human beings as they discover that they are being misused. The most famous instance is when they murder a ship crew and now had a goal to destroy all humans on earth. The leader of the Replicants is Roy Batty who leads them on the course of finding their maker so that their lifespan could be increased.

In my opinion, Roy Batty acts as a hero in the film as he is the self-styled leader of the Replicants. Roy saved Deckard life when he had the opportunity to kill him quickly. Roy is a true hero as he demonstrates the human aspects of empathy and compassion. He gains insight into what it is like to be human, and it is the act of saving Deckard's life that gives him peace. Roy dies in a state of peace and acceptance of his destiny.

It is accurate to say that the more human robots are, the more familiar humans find them. However, when they exceed or become at par with human intelligence, people find them disturbing. The "Uncanny Valley "is a symbolic aspect that shows the emotional reaction which happens when people encounter an object that is almost human. Blade Runner 1982 suggest that we might overcome the negative emotional response of the uncanny valley. Roy's empathetic lead people towards accepting humanity in robots and even sympathizing with the extensive plights of the Replicants.

Themes Symbolism and Imagery

The themes that arise from Blade Runner 1982 include Identity, memory, mortality society and class and technology and modernization. The replicants are people who have been developed and constructed by someone else and have nothing of their own (Runner, 1982). Nevertheless, they identify themselves and develop emotions on their own. Initially, the replicants lack memories of the past which make them inexperienced emotionally. Lack of memory would lead to lack of culture and civilization.

The Blade runner 1982 shows that mortality is inescapable since the robots are also designed to die after four years. The film also depicts that the American society is facing chaos. Firstly, it is run by a bad company- the Tyrrell corporation which uses replicants for slave labor. The community is shown to be multicultural as there is inequity since people do not have the chance to participate in the society's leadership. The movie broadly indicates how technology has advanced. It is seen that almost all animals have gone extinct.

Rachel and Leon both have fake family pictures to be in line with their implanted memories. The images present the questing of people identity. It is essential for people to identify their minds as Roy states that he cherishes his real memories. Roy affirms his own real identity. The Tyrell's pyramid indicates that Dr. Eldon Tyrrell is not a humble scientist; instead, he demands a position of authority similar to that of a god or a king. Tyrell creates the replicants not for relation, but as part of his business to generate his money.

Deckard's Character

Deckard is a smart detective, competent and an executioner. He is especially good at analyzing clues. He demonstrates the ability to endure heavy physical punishment and also hit the targets under challenging situations. Deckard is the chief protagonist in the film, and his job as a blood runner is to kill the replicants. He demonstrates resilience towards killing replicants, but he kills them nevertheless. Deckard begins to change his thinking after he falls in love with Rachel, a replicant. His relationship with Rachel is ethical as he realizes the human aspects of robots. As a result, he becomes tired and bitter of those around him as he is against the killing of killing replicants, but it is his duty nonetheless.

The level of androids behaving like real human beings is possible in the future as people have already started creating human-like robots. There should be automation risks on the building of androids since advanced technology will lead to the establishment of new robots which surpass our intellect (Van Wynsberghe, 2016). Their reasoning will go beyond our understanding and leave us in a dilemma. The solution is creating artificial intelligence with human aspects like consciousness, social intelligence, and emotional intelligence. The androids will then be able to analyze our expressions and only then, will they become a part of the society.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the ethics on human-like robots include the ethical problems raised by the incorporation of robots in society. The moral status and the attempt to make them ethical is considered as well. The future of robots is clear as technology advancement makes scientists gives scientists the ability to create artificial intelligent beings.

Works Cited

Runner, B. (1982). Ridley Scott. Warner Bros.

Van Wynsberghe, A. (2016). Healthcare robots: Ethics, design, and implementation. Routledge.