Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: Chapter 6 Summary & Analysis

John hears a television playing in the apartment below and, excited to discover another resident, descends the stairs to investigate. He knocks on the door and introduces himself, offering a cube of margarine as a neighborly gesture. A frightened young woman (Pris) opens the door slightly. She explains she thought the building was abandoned and seems uncomfortable with John’s friendliness. Her apartment is filled with old, decaying furniture that previous tenants left behind. John offers to help her replace it, explaining the concept of “kipple”—useless junk that accumulates in abandoned places.

John attempts to connect further by discussing Mercerism and the empathy boxes that allow people to share their struggles, but the woman dismisses their importance. When he accidentally reveals his status as a special, she reacts coolly, which unsettles John. Though the woman eventually accepts his offer to help her settle in, her aloofness leaves John uneasy. Before he goes, John asks the woman her name. The woman introduces herself as Rachael Rosen, though she asks John to call her Pris Stratton—preferably “Miss Stratton.”