Symbolism and Themes
Having been criticized for his strong alien races early in his career, Asimov shied away from most non-human characters, and instead devoted his science-fiction to the development of robotics and artificial life. Having been written expressly for the compilation Robot Dreams (1986), it set a core theme for the book concerning the budding consciousness of robots. In Robot Dreams, Elvex surprised Dr. Rash with his knowledge. Obtaining sentience a mere ten days before the narration, Elvex was already utilizing words with no robotic equivalent, describing places and situations other robots were suffering while never having experienced them first hand, and even described reactions bordering on emotions in his ‘dream’. Rather than suffer the indignity of subjugating humans under a race of blue bloods, it seems Asimov instead balanced human power on a crumbling pedestal. Elvex is destroyed not for the capability of human thought and mannerisms, but the unconscious desire to escape the inequality that robots were created for.
| Preceded by: "The Evitable Conflict" |
Included in: 'Robot Dreams |
Series: Robot series Foundation Series |
Followed by: "Feminine Intuition" |
Read more about this topic: Robot Dreams (Asimov Short Story)
Famous quotes containing the words symbolism and/or themes:
“...I remembered the rose bush that had reached a thorny branch out through the ragged fence, and caught my dress, detaining me when I would have passed on. And again the symbolism of it all came over me. These memories and visions of the poor—they were the clutch of the thorns. Social workers have all felt it. It holds them to their work, because the thorns curve backward, and one cannot pull away.”
—Albion Fellows Bacon (1865–1933)
“In economics, we borrowed from the Bourbons; in foreign policy, we drew on themes fashioned by the nomad warriors of the Eurasian steppes. In spiritual matters, we emulated the braying intolerance of our archenemies, the Shi’ite fundamentalists.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941)