In R.U.R., you wouldn't think gender would be a big theme in a play about robots. Robots don't have a gender, after all, right? Right—and that's exactly why gender is such a big deal. Here you have creatures which look human and act human and can be reproduced, but they have no gender. So then, you start to wonder: do you really need gender at all? Maybe you could just chuck it. Would that make the world better? Would it end sexism, for example? Or would it cause nature to wail and gnash its teeth and end all life as you know it? (Hint: Čapek votes for the second of those options.)
Questions About Gender
- Does Domin treat Helena like he treats the robots? What parts of the play give you your ideas?
- Can robots have babies? How can you tell?
- Are robots babies themselves? What parts of the play give you your ideas?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
In R.U.R., humanity is destroyed because it has eliminated masculinity.
Wrong again—in R.U.R., humanity is destroyed because it has eliminated femininity.