Connections in Europe

After reading this novel, I thought “hmm” interesting prelude to German occupation. Hitler clearly didn’t read “R.U.R,” or maybe he did.. Like Hitler, Domin wants to create a human machine, a group of people—or robots in this case—empty of emotions who will work for a certain purpose. Nazi Germany highlighted people’s national and religious differences in an effort to create a more perfect human race and ignite a cult that would work on their behalf. Domin and his followers think about using nationalism to create a perfect workforce of robots. He suggests making the robots different from one another. “We people will help to foster their prejudices and cultivate their mutual lack of understanding, you see?” (p. 46). In both cases, differences are used to bring people together under a cult like atmosphere. Nazi Germany and Domin’s intellects seek to inflict pain to further their agenda of creating a perfect human machine. Why create a perfect human machine? Domin wants people to live to do what they want—to live to perfect themselves over anything else. Reading “R.U.R.” over my break in the south of France—a rich town of French bourgeoisie—was an interesting experience because I was surrounded by people who appeared to be living only to perfect themselves. Shopping and eating at cafes all day didn’t seem like much fun.