In R. U. R. Capek dramatizes the impending danger to mankind\u27s vitality of machine-like efficiency. Here is a pleasing fantasy attempting to develop a notion implicit in Mrs. Shelley\u27s Frankenstein, the peril of man\u27s creating a monster destined eventually to destroy him. Of course, Capek changes this notion somewhat by giving it a social application. It seems that he is primarily concerned with the future of mankind. However, his  planetary consciousness  has not a scientific basis; it springs rather from a desire to save human values from the enslavement of industrial civilization

Lukenbill, Charles

English

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Capek's MasterpieceCHARLES LUKENBILL//In R. U. R. Capek dramatizes the im-pending danger to mankind's vitality ofmachine-like efficiency. Here is a pleasingfantasy attempting to develop a notion im-plicit in Mrs. Shelley's Frankenstein, theperil of man's creating a monster destinedeventually to destroy him. Of course,Capek changes this notion somewhat bygiving it a social application. It seems thathe is primarily concerned with the futureof mankind. However, his "planetary con-sciousness" has not a scientific basis; itsprings rather from a desire to save humanvalues from the enslavement of industrialciviliza tion.Capek develops these ideas in a daringvision of mechanical men, who first appearas a blessing to man, making him free fromtoil, but who finally are the cause of hisdestruction. The play is rather melodrama-tic but it has the power to stir the imagina-tion of the masses, provoking some amountof thought among them as to a possiblesolution of this momentous problem. How-ever we may disagree with his views, wemust give him credit for the acute intellect,inspired observation and deep sympathywith common humanity revealed in hisplay. His is not the American, or perhapsbetter called "Anglo-Saxon," comic spirit,nor the fine, sad hopeless laughter of theRussians; but rather it is a humor coloredby vigorous satire, active and witty, at thebottom of which one cannot fail to perceivea deep love of humanity.To some the conflict may seem quiteobvious, but others develop a differentinterpretation. Some would say that theconflict is simply "the robots versus thehuman race." I would go farther. I believethat one is more correct in saying that the-conflict rests between mechanical progressand humanity. Of course, in this particu-lar play mechanical progress is symbolizedby the robots and the men who createdthem and continue to produce them; theauthor depends largely upon three of hishuman characters for his symbolism ofhumanity.Let us consider first those who repre-sent humanity. The most important of thethree, possibly, is Nana. She is typical ofher sex, I think, in that she holds to herconservative points of view while the mengo stumbling blindly through new ideas.She objects to the manufacture of robotsbecause it is unnatural, and in her primitivephilosophy anything unnatural is againstthe will of God. Nana does seem to be adeeply religious person though ignorant.She seems to sense something amiss withthe idea of robots much in the same mannerin which the dogs reacted. Of the threecharacters symbolizing the humanitarianViewpoint, Nana is the most consistent inher convictions.Alquist speaks out on the value anddignity of human labor. Thus he becomesa part of the hUmanitarian side of the con-flict. I don't doubt that many of theremarks made by Alquist are the convic-tions of Capek, Who once said, "A man whois working, searching, and doing things isnot and cannot be a pessimist. Everygenuine effort implies faith." Alquist feelsthat desire which is inherent in all man-kind to some degree . . . . that desire towork with the hands. However, Alquistmay seem to be romanticizing in that hechooses to ignore those labors which arepure drudgery without any hint of dignity,but I think not. Alquist believes that it is-18-natural for a man to use his hands for labor.It follows then that he would think thatdoing what God willed man to do, that islabor with his hands, was honorable.Helene Glory, t~e third of the charac-ters representing the argument for human-ity, has traits in common with the twoalready mentioned. Her outstanding con-viction is her humanitarian attitude. Sheseems to express Capek's deep love andcompassion for humanity more than any ofthe others, but she is not so consistent inher convictions, and her ideals fade as timepasses.Let us consider now the symbolism ofthe robots and those characters in favor ofthis mechanized progress. Capek uses therobots as symbols of the technological pro-gress of man. They represent the ultimatein man's continuous search for labor-savingdevices, but man was not meant to bemechanized. This very mechanization de-prives him of his individuality."I wanted to turn the whole of man-kind into an aristocracy of the world. Anaristocracy nourished by milliards ofmechanical slaves. Unrestricted, free andconsummated in man. And maybe morethan men." This quotation which is astatement of Domin shows clearly that hewas an idealist. He dreamed of a Utopianworld served by his robots. He was strivingso hard to achieve this goal that he wasentirely blinded to the fact that such amechanization of the world was fraughtwith grave dangers to humanity.Doctor Gall symbolizes the pure scien-tific approach to the problem .... man'sinsatiable thirst for knowledge. Busman isa symbol of the profit motive. Even in ourworld of today there are those who haveno conscience where profit and personalgain are concerned. The character, Bus-man, does add a touch of dry comedy.The conflict calls up the question ofprogress. Charles Beard in The Idea ofProgress seems to have the opinion that allprogress is good and that things will getcontinually better in progress. Beard alsosays that the problem of progress is not oneof retreat but one of choices and uses ofends and methods. There is some contradic-tion in these ideas but a general view ofBeard will permit us to say that he thinksprogress is good and inevitable.Capek does not disagree that progressis inevitable, at least to a certain point, buthe does present the possibility that not allprogress is good. It does not seem to methat Capek is saying in his play that alltechnological progress is bad, but ratherthat such progress is dangerous and thatman should proceed with caution else hewill in the end destroy himself.Capek believes that even though mandestroys himself, some part of him willlive on. This belief is probably his reasonfor writing the Epilogue to R. U. R. Perhapshe even believes in the indestructibility ofthe qualities of humanity as a whole. Ofthis much 1 am sure: Capek is saying in hisEpilogue that out of man's self destuctionwill corne new life and new hope.Capek preaches the folly of regardingwork as a curse, exemption from toil as ablessing, and industrial efficiency as an endin itself. Perhaps we have missed the realmeaning in the play, but if we consider ourworking men as mere machines and striveto make them so, they will some day wreakrevenge upon those who thus abuse them.What constitutes civilization is not itsmachinery, but rather its human values.How absurd the manager's dream - " toturn the whole of mankind into an aristo-cracy of the world, and nourished by mil-liards of mechanical slaves, but unre-stricted, free, consummated in man andperhaps more than man!" The plan failed,and Alquist, who alone remains alive, sug-gests why. "There was something good inservice and something great in humility;19-there was a kind of virtue in toil and weari-ness."The problem is not solved in the play.Karel Capek merely presents it for yourconsideration and thought.The Wistful Fable Of The Willows Of Willow LaneR. HANCOCK!IAlthough willow trees, weeping willowtrees, genus Salix babylonica (in case anybotanist is listening), spring from the earth,there is something unearthly about them.This was the first profound observation inan exhaustive and exhausted one-manstudy made recently. It was discoveredalso that they provide atmosphere. Manywriters have made good use of a stout wil-low; some use them as trapezes for school-skipping farm boys in blue jeans, charactersIike Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn; severaluse them as an aid or receptacle for hidingpassionate love letters, lockets, charms;many, for background in murder mysteries,and still others as property of ye oleSouthe'n mansions, mansions that figurelargely in the winning of the Civil War,Scarlet's last stand, etc.We have had willow trees on our streetever so long, as far back as I can rememberand farther. I recall seeing a photographof our then new white bungalow with twoskinny, scrawny Willows implanted strate-gically in our too-small front yard. On oneof the margins of the photo was inked thedate "1929". Perhaps it was a gay coinci-dence, or just a sundry fancy, but I too,was a skinny stripling then, although atrifle more human. Being born in '29, a"depression baby," I felt akin to thosewillows and measured myself to them. Asthey grew, so I grew; as they gained statureand venerability, so I gained childhood andadolescence.One day, having time to measure my-self to them again, I found, to my utter con-sternation, that they had grown much tallerand decidedly broader. I had lost out!What had happened, I was at my wit's endto know. I thought perhaps 1 had an over-active pituitary gland, or that the trees hadlost theirs entirely. Soon, however, 1 wasinformed that a tree's life span was ofshorter length than mine. I was, as youmayor may not have guessed, astonished.What could I do? Perhaps I could chopthem down to my size-Washington did it,why couldn't 1?Taking my little wooden tomahawkfrom the wall of my bedroom, I raced outof the house with the defiling instrumentin hand and gave one mighty, crushingblo w ..... After wiping the dirt from myeyes and picking myself off the ground, Ilooked down-one splintered tomahawkwas distributed throughout the epidermisof my hand. I surmised I should conceivea better plan next time; besides, Washing-ton didn't tell a lie and got whipped for it.Then after thinking an afterthought, Igave the whole plan up. After all, most ofthe neighbors' willows were at the samegrowth; I would be chopping for the restof my life. Of course I could take up for-estry and/or lumberjacking and learn thelatest methods to dispatch thick-trunkedwillow trees. Thinking better of this, how-ever, I scampered off to several discourag-ing, if not disastrously confining years, in-20-

Capek\u27s Masterpiece

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Capek\u27s Masterpiece

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