From the very beginning of Detroit: Become Human, there are hints that Canada is a safe haven for all robots. This is because the country boasts that it doesn’t use any robots. They don’t create any and they don’t utilize their services. As such, many robots who have achieved sentience choose to flee to Canada. They won’t be looked for there. Quantic Dream has essentially re-created the Underground Railroad in their game, Detroit: Become Human. However, one scene, in particular, warrants a deeper analysis.
This article will look into the level in which Kara and her company take refuge with Rose in the hopes that Rose will help them get into Canada.
Rose and Adam
While there are clearly parallels to the Underground Railroad in this scene, we first need to dig into the characters of Rose and her son, Adam. Perhaps one of the most powerful aspects of these two characters is that they are African American. While we don’t know if their family stems from slaves or if they came to America later, the fact that Rose, an African American woman is helping sneak robots to a place of a safety is just powerful. Secondly, it makes sense. Who better to sympathize with a marginalized group than an African American woman?
We looked into the significance behind Rose’s name. After all, Quantic Dream doesn’t seem the type to just choose names without purpose. While there are likely quite a few abolitionists with the name Rose, what really caught our eye was the relationship between roses and the Quakers. Although it has yet to be proven--albeit many Quaker families confirm that they have a family history supporting the claim--Quakers used to plant green roses in front of their homes to show that they were friendly towards slaves. Those who were seeking freedom from their masters could rely on those families for a safe refuge and help.
Whether or not Quantic Dream chose this name due to that reason or not, we’re not sure. However, it is a rather subtle nod towards the Underground Railroad history if that is the case. Then there is the case of her son, Adam. As players will know, Adam is a little nervous about his mother helping androids escape. He had just lost his father and he isn’t too keen on his mother being jailed for helping robots if she’s caught. He frequently tells his mother that she shouldn’t help them. That the robots aren’t people.
Rose is quick to correct him. Kara can have a powerful conversation with Adam, too, about why she is just the same as him. All of the parallels between the plight of the slaves and their masters and androids and their own masters is just gripping. This is the relevant material that more games need to make an effort in including into their games.
We also did a little searching into Adam’s name to determine if there was anything particularly compelling about that choice of name. Again, Adam could be attributed to many abolitionists. However, we’re wondering if the name was chosen to confirm that Rose came from a family who were former slaves. Adam, after all, is a common name that was given to slaves when they were boarded on ships for America. Most slaves, in fact, were given Biblical names. Which is rather ironic if you choose to think about it.
Overall, the level in which you seek Rose’s help and have to hide and deceive a police officer is powerful. Not just because those offering help on this new Underground Railroad are African American but because Kara and Alice are caucasian, themselves. Yes, they’re androids, but they’re also caucasian androids. The irony cannot be missed there.
This level is a pleasure to play and offers players a chance to acknowledge their own history. Hopefully enough so that lessons are learned and not repeated in the future when androids start to walk among us.
What did you think of the level? Do you have any ideas as to why the characters might have been called Rose and Adam? Did you make it through the police search without raising suspicion? Let us know in the comments!
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