ENGLISH-2420 (SCIENCE FICTION)
ORI DONA
FEBRYARY 26, 2014
CAVES OF STEEL SUMMARY
CAVES OF STEEL DWELLED DEEP INTO MANY MOTIFS AND CONCEPTS. THE STRONGEST BEING THE HUMAN ROBOT RELATIONSHIP. THOUGHOUT THE NOVEL WE DEAL WITH THE QUESTION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN. SINCE ELIJAH AND DANEEL REPRESENT THE C/FE CULTURE, THERE IS ALWAYS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT RELATIONSHIP. IN THE BEGINNING OF THE NOVEL WE SEE DANEELS SUPERIORITY DUE TO HIS PERFECT PHYSICAL MAKEUP AND INTELLECT. DANEEL ALSO APPEARS TO BE VERY LOGICAL AND REASONABLE. ELIJAH HOWEVER IS DEPICTED AS A FLAWED HUMAN WITH EMOTIONS AND WEAKNESS. HOWEVER WE SEE AT THE END OF THE NOVEL WHEN ELIJAH IS PERSISTENT AND DETERMINED TO FINISH THE CASE DESPITE DANEEL SAYING THAT IT WAS NO LONGER NECESSARY TO DO SO AND THAT THE INVESTIGATION HAD CONCLUDED. IT WAS ELIJAHS HUMAN ATTRIBUTES THAT EXPOSED THE COMMISSIONER. HUMAN QUALITIES SUCH AS DETERMINATION AND CURIOSITY. IN THIS SEQUENCE;
He said harshly, “Well, never mind that. Why are the Spacers breaking off?”
The robot said, “Our project is concluded. We are satisfied that Earth will colonize.”
THIS SHOWES THAT DANEEL AS WELL AS THE SPACERS WHO HAVE SUPERIOR INTELLECT AND REASON APPEAR TO LACK THE BASIC HUMAN DRIVES WHICH IS WHY ELIJAH WAS ABLE TO CRACK THE CASE. AT ONE POINT HE DID NOT EVEN HOW HE WAS GOING TO PROVE THAT ENDERBY COMMITED THE MURDER. HOWEVER THROUGH SHEER DETERMINATION AND CUCRIOSITY HE WAS ABLE TO SOLVE THE CASE. THIS IS POWERFUL BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT HUMANS MAY NOT HAVE A SET PURPOSE, HOWEVER WE ARE DRIVEN BY SOMETHING UNEXPLANIABLE WHICH IS WHAT MAKES US HUMAN.
