Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Philip K. Dick

         Emotional Identity is explored throughout the text.  At the beginning of the story our central character Rick Deckard and his wife, Iran, argue over which mood to set for themselves for the day.  Iran has set her schedule to include a 6-hour self-accusatory depression for the day.  Rick finds it ridiculous that one would choose such a state.  Yet the day that Rick experiences throughout the novel certainly drags him through a gamete of negative emotional experiences.  The author never suggests that Iran does anything but stay home.  This would allow her to have complete control over her emotional state at all times with the assistance of the empathy box.  It would be incredibly difficult to live in such a static emotional state.
      The androids that Rick hunts are judged based upon their empathetic response to a variety of questions.  When he discovers that the test may not be entirely accurate he continues to use it.  It is even mentioned that the test had been found to be inaccurately on those that suffer from mental illness.  I find it shameful that they would continue to use such a test when the results are not accurate and a failing result would immediately result in death.