Throughout the book, it was not unusual for characters to speak for paragraphs and for exchanges to last entire pages with very little action or movement in between. However, as characteristic of Asimov’s simplistic style, the dialogue never seemed long-winded or confusing and was instead very organic and natural. In a somewhat simple and straightforward mystery story, Asimov brings up several thought-provoking themes and difficult questions which are never answered definitely. The first major theme is what the social treatment of robots should be once they become fully integrated into society. In the beginning of the novel, the main character Elijah Baley is living on Earth, a planet fearful and suspicious of intelligent robots. Throughout the introduction, he refers to his temporary robot guide as “boy,” making a distinct connection to the way African Americans were treated during and even after slavery in America. However, when he travels to the planet Aurora, where robots are accepted instead of feared, he must change his behavior significantly, transferring to a more respectful tone by the end of the book. As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, the natural question of
Throughout the book, it was not unusual for characters to speak for paragraphs and for exchanges to last entire pages with very little action or movement in between. However, as characteristic of Asimov’s simplistic style, the dialogue never seemed long-winded or confusing and was instead very organic and natural. In a somewhat simple and straightforward mystery story, Asimov brings up several thought-provoking themes and difficult questions which are never answered definitely. The first major theme is what the social treatment of robots should be once they become fully integrated into society. In the beginning of the novel, the main character Elijah Baley is living on Earth, a planet fearful and suspicious of intelligent robots. Throughout the introduction, he refers to his temporary robot guide as “boy,” making a distinct connection to the way African Americans were treated during and even after slavery in America. However, when he travels to the planet Aurora, where robots are accepted instead of feared, he must change his behavior significantly, transferring to a more respectful tone by the end of the book. As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, the natural question of