58 pages • 1 hour read
Isaac AsimovThe Caves of Steel
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1953A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
How does whether a character comes from Earth or an Outer World impact their view of progress? Explain what progress means to each group, using examples from the novel to support your response.
Describe an instance of juxtaposition in the book and explain how it supports a central theme.
What does “the caves of steel” metaphor reveal about Earth’s cities, both now and in the future? Use evidence from the text and outside research to support your response.
Choose an anecdote from the novel and explain how it is used to develop a character.
The novel was released in 1953. What narrative and stylistic elements are indicative of that period? Consider language, technology, gender roles, space travel, etc.
Which character makes the strongest case for creating new Outer World settlements and enhancing C/Fe relationships? Use evidence from the novel to support your response.
A number of characters are doctors and/or scientists. What genre role do they fulfill in the novel, both in terms of the detective story and science fiction?
Much effort is spent describing how Spacers and Earth dwellers are different. In what ways are they the same? What similar problems do Earth and the Outer Worlds face regarding their future?
Describe a central theme not discussed in the guide and, using textual support, trace its development through the narrative.
Throughout the novel, characters make reference to the 20th century as part of Earth’s Medieval period. What is the effect of Isaac Asimov’s placing his present-day world in the novel’s far past?
Related Titles
By Isaac Asimov
