Author: Katie H.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

What does it mean to be human? Both the film Blade Runner and the novel Neuromancer question what it means to be human. In the film Blade Runner, this question is explored through replicants. Replicants are bioengineered individuals, not human but almost indistinguishable from humans. The replicants in the film blended in with humans well, only a select few were able to distinguish them from humans due to the emotions test or being part of the creation team of the replicants. An emotions test was necessary to distinguish replicants from humans. Do emotions define what it means to be human? Most replicants are unable to pass this test but Rachel, an experimental replicant, lasts a lot longer than the rest of the replicants when taking this test. Rachel is a replicant with false memories programed into her. At the beginning of the film, Rachel did not know that she is a replicant. She had trouble coming to terms with the fact that she is a replicant after not being able to pass the emotions test in the end. Do memories define what it means to be human? Rachel thought she was human because of her false memories, and she lasted longer during the emotions test because of them. The replicants had the ability to create their own memories after creation like humans create memories after birth. In the film, Deckard was assigned to get rid of replicants because they were considered dangerous. Does a drive for survival define what it means to be human? The humans wanted replicants gone because the humans wanted to live, but replicants also had a drive for survival. At the end of the film, Rachel is the only replicant introduced that survived. The question of what it means to be human still remains.

The novel Neuromancer by William Gibson also questions what it means to be human but in a different way from the film. In the novel, humans and technology are so interconnected that it raises the question of what it means to be human. Let’s take Molly and Dixie Flatline for example. Molly is human with technological modifications. Is Molly still human with her technological modifications that not all humans have? Another character, Dixie Flatline, also raises questions of what it means to be human. Dixie Flatline is an artificial intelligence construct of McCoy Pauley. McCoy Pauley’s human body has died, but his mind, memories, and personality still exists within the cyberspace. Dixie helps another character, Case, throughout his mission within cyberspace, but continuously asks to be erased once the mission is complete. Although McCoy Pauley is dead, Dixie Flatline lived on for the majority of the novel. Is Dixie Flatline really McCoy Pauley? Is McCoy Pauley still living on through Dixie Flatline? Since Dixie Flatline was McCoy Pauley, is Dixie Flatline considered human even though he only has a digital form left? Dixie and Case formed a close relationship while working together. Does friendship define what it means to be human? Neuromancer leaves readers with something to think about. What does it mean to be human?