Analysis Of "R.U.R.

"
Robert Bowles

(The analysis of RUR by Robert Bowles is printed as an example of what is

being done in Freshman Composition classes in the form of analysis. We believe
that this is a superior illustration of a review of the important work by Capek.)

R. U. R. is a drama of ideas, and it Domin symbolized progress. He was

contains a great amount of symbolism an idealist in that his belief in progress
together with the conflicts between its never wavered. However, I do not be-
lieve that Domin symbolized progress in
ideas.
To begin with, there is a conflict the true sense of the word, and I do not
between Domin, who believed in pro- believe that Capek was against the true
gress despite its effects on the individual, idea of progress when he wrote this play.
and Helena, who believed that the rights True progress is not only the subjugation
of human personality are more important of the material world so that all of mans'
than progress. I do not believe that physical wants are supplied. It is also a
Helena symbolizes the social worker who step forward or the improvement in man's
is interested in correcting something moral and cultural outlook so that his
mental wants are supplied. And of the
vrithout knowing exactly what she wants
two, mental happiness and satisfaction is
to do. Helena, in my opinion, symbolizes
much more important in my opinion than
the individual personality. Everything
the mere satisfaction of material wants.
connected with this idea is vague and un-
Domin was interested only in materi-
certain. No one knows what to do, even
alistic or technological progress and the
today, to protect the individual. It is a
extension of its benefits to all of society.
complicated process which has no clear-
While this was a very noble ambition, it
cut path. What is good for one man is
stilk left unsolved progress in man's moral
bad for another. No wonder that Helena
and cultured outlook. This never occur-
was confused. She agreed, as do we, that
red to Domin as he evidently thought that
technological progress in its pure sense
man could and would be happy once he
is desirable and beneficial to man. And
had satisfied all of his material wants.
yet she questioned progress when it
He thought that man could then spend all
crushed the individual to meet it ends,
his time on improving his moral and cul- ./
just as thinkers today question the
tural outlook.
exploitation of labor by business while
From this idea comes the conflict
agreeing that this exploitation benefits,
between Domin, who wanted to remove
in one sense, the human race as a whole.
man from the degradation of work, and
Helena was merely trying to weigh in her
Alquist, who believed in the dignity and
mind the effects of Domin's ideas, and to
usefulness of labor. Both in their way
put across to him why she considered
were right. Domin's conception of labor
them wrong. She could not deny that his
was the monotonous, dull, routine-like
robots would reduce labor or make it work of the common factory or office
agree that violating the human personal- worker. A job such as this adds nothing
ity was wrong. Hence she was confused. to a man's life other than supplying him

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with the money to keep alive. So rea- This I believe is not true progress, as it
soned Domin. results in a backward step in the present
On the other hand, Alquist took plea- for a doubtful and unsure advance in the
sure in his work and would have been future.
lost without it. This is a problem faced Now, if you substitute money in place
by the world today as it gradually reduces of Domin's goal, you will have a picture
the hours of the working man. of the reasoning used in many instances
The fact remains that removing the by big business, especially in the field of
necessity of work does not solve the pro- munitions. To these firms, as to Domin,
blem unless another interest or goal is the goal is all that counts; and this goal to
substituted to fill the vacuum created. them is profit. Take too the idea of send-
Here was the fallacy in Domin's plan. ing the robot to the stamping mill when
You must educate man in the ways of he wore out or something went wrong
self-improvement before turning him with him. Then look at past actions of
loose to devote all of his time to it. business in regard to its employees' old
Experience is also necessary for a correct age or occupational injuries. The em-
understanding and interpretation of life. ployees were laid off - sent to the stamp-
Without work and the contacts it affords, ing mill - when they were no longer of
experience would be drastically curtailed; use.
and theory or speculation would take its Now the above, I realize, are very
place. broad statements and not applicable in
I thought that in a way big business many instances. However, the point is
was satirized in R. U. R. The idea of the that in both the case of Domin and of big
robot corresponds very nearly with the business, one man or a small group of
idea that big business had, and to a cer- men make decisions which affect the lives
tain extent still has, of its employees. of millions, and they are accountable to
To them, their employees are merely for no one.
the purpose of doing a job in the most One of the most important conflicts
efficient way and in the quickest time. in the play is that between the materialis-
They are not thought of as individual tic point of view and the spiritual inter-
people, but more Or less as the robots pretation of life. The former is self-
were thought of by Domin. explanatory. The latter does not neces-
In the same vein of thought, Domin sarily mean the presence of a Divine
arbitrarily decided that the robots would Being; but it means that there is a pur-
solve mans' problem. Therefore, he pro- pose or meaning to life for every individ-
ceeded on his own accord to introduce ual over and above the satisfaction of
them into the world. The consequences certain wants. This conflict has already
were of no interest to him. Immediate been discussed to a certain extent. Man
results of the invention, horrible as they since the beginning of time has felt that
were, made no difference. What mattered there is some reason for his being on this
was that his idea in the long run was earth. If then, there is a purpose to life,
accomplished regardless of the immediate it most certainly is not the mere satisfac-
consequences. Domin reasoned that al- tion of material wants. After you have
though the masses were injured badly in attained your goal, you still have nothing
the process, the goal justified his actions. but an empty physical satisfaction, 89

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the purpose or meaning of life must lie in of human reactions and feelings. Two
the field of education. Here the satisfac- robots have developed a Soul, or a mind,
tion comes from the mind, which more whichever you want to call it, and are
nearly than anything else approaches human. In the end you have these two
man's earthly conception of the Soul. transformed robots whom Alquist sym-
These two ideas were in direct conflict bolically calls Adam and Eve. You feel
throughout the play. Domin, in his com- that although the other robots will die
plete disregard for the individual per- out, man in the form of these two trans-
sonality, allied himself with the material- formed robots will survive. Everything
istic point of view, while Helena and is wiped out except man himself, and
Alquist fought for the individual and man must begin all over again as he did
were allied with the opposite side. from the Garden' of Eden. And yet you
The robots to me also symbolized do not feel an overwhelming sorrow at
man at his lowest state. With no ideas the loss of all the knowledge or so called
and merely working at a given job, they progress in the world. Man is left, and
seemed to represent the masses of many that is all that matters.
countries today. They, like man, were Progress then in its technological
not free from the rebellion 9f mere work. sense is of no use unless man can grow
They began to think, and hence became with it in his outlook and interpretation
dissatisfied with their lot. True, the of life. Along the above lines, the play
robots were free of all the passions of also suggests the immortality of man
man, even man at the lowest levels, but vrithout necessarily advocating the pre-
the symbol still seems valid. sence of a Divine Being. Despite every-
I believe that Capek in writing thing, the human race lives on.
R. U. R. wanted to show that technological
progress can be harmful if carried too far. I believe Capek was trying to say
In the end, technological progress, with- that technological progress is not as im-
out accompanying progress in moral and portant as we may think and that it most
certainly does not justify the destruction
cultural insights, could cancel itself out.
of any individual or human personality.
In the epilogue of the play, the human
He felt that the individual counted for
race is completely destroyed by the
as much as society as a whole, and that
robots. The robots themselves are unable
true progress realized this. Capek, in his
to reproduce so their end is merely a
way, was merely trying to make clear the
matter of time. However, two robots
idea of true ·progress.
suddenly become aware of each other and

PURPLE PATCH

The shell of clouds was tinted with

mother of pearl.
In Clouds by Francis E. Donahue,

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