With Bladrunner and BNW, you've gotta focus on the humanity of the characters in the text. What is human, what isn't that sort of thing. I've got some pretty sweet notes on the subject. Basically deals with why technically non-human characters in Bladerunner show human qualities like compassion and fear, and who, in BNW is Savage and who is human in our context and why. Any questions? Probably. Let me elaborate:
The "In the Wild" elective focuses on the human condition. It begs the question - 'What is human?" Which is why BNW and Bladerunner are the prescribed texts - because they focus on the concept of humanity.
In BNW, humans are 'decanted' in test tubes and conditioned to behave a certain way. Unlike the social conditioning of today (a build up of many years of socialisation and learning about which behaviours are accepted as 'normal') the hypnopeadia employed by the World State ensures that everyone knows their place in society and accepts it without question. However; this concept is challenged within the book with the parallel 'Savage' reservation. Though the savages hold many of the values we hold today, they are portrayed in the book as wild, anti-social, and filthy. When reading this book, you nust ask yourself: what do I consider human? Why have I been taught to think this way? Have I been taught to think this way? and if so, how?
What is humanity??
Then we have Bladerunner. The protagonist, Deckard, is portrayed much in the style of Marlowe - a hard-boiled, film noir detective. A loner. In the society of LA in 2019, we get the impression during the film that everyone is a loner. this is a society without real connections or ties with other people. There is alot of emphasis on relationshps - particularly those among the replicants - such as Leon/Roy, Pris/Roy, Zhora/Leon (you get the feeling that there was a relationship between the two because of Leon's prescence at her death) These relationships developed because the replicants developed emotions - the one thing that keeps them under control is the fact that they dont have emotions; therefore they want for nothing and accept their role in society [Note: this theme is evident in BNW] When replicants develope emotions, they fight back.
The film is yet another text that begs the question: 'What is humanity?' The replicants care for each other, they care for humans (as evident in the relationship between Racheal and Deckard) yet they are man-made and not technically human. But are they? Deckard shoots Zhora in the back - a cowardly and inhumane murder - because she is running for her life. She is fighting for life, she wants to live. Isn't this a human quality? Roy saves Deckard's life out of compassion for man. Isn't this a human quality?
In this elective, you have to develop your own ideas and perspectives on the human/non-human debate. I hope this has helped you; I've got lots of textual references and technical stuff if it is required - just drop me a line!