How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Long ago [Isidore] had lost sight of them. He found himself evidently climbing alone. But they were there. They still accompanied him; he felt them, strangely, inside him.
Isidore stood holding the two handles, experiencing himself as encompassing every other living thing, and then, reluctantly, he let go. (2.29)
You know what really helps us figure out symbols? When the concept is right there on the label. Thanks, Dick! The empathy box turns the abstract concept of empathy physical, making it really, really easy to understand. No, really, Dick: we get it.
Quote #2
Empathy, evidently, existed only within the human community, whereas intelligence to some degree could be found throughout every phylum and order including the arachnida. (3.16)
Turn off Threes and pay attention, Shmoopers: this is one of the most important quotes in the novel. If empathy exists only in humans, then you could argue that empathy is the defining feature of humanity. That is, you have to have empathy to be human. But if it were that easy, this wouldn't be great literature.
Quote #3
[Eldon's] voice had become hard and bitingly penetrating. "Your police department—others as well—may have retired, very probably have retired, authentic humans with underdeveloped empathic ability, such as my innocent niece here. Your position, Mr. Deckard, is extremely bad morally. Ours isn't." (5.48)
Didn't take long for use to see how not easy empathy is, did it? While Rachael turns out to be an android—not a human with underdeveloped empathetic ability—Eldon's question echoes throughout the novel. Is killing something for a lack of empathy morally wrong? Is it, in fact, not empathetic?