The Caves of Steel

Robot Daneel Olivaw is a highly developed robot almost indistinguishable from a human. He is mistaken for a human by multiple characters in the book. He was created by the murder victim, Dr. Sarton, and looks almost identical to him. Daneel is tall, blond, and slim. He follows many characteristics common to humanoid robots, including being rational, polite, unemotional, and stoic. He is programmed according to the Laws of Robotics and is incapable of harming humans.

Daneel’s introduction shocks Lije, as he has never seen such a well-developed robot. Spacer robot technology is far better than Earth’s. Daneel approaches problems logically and sees little difference between himself and Lije, stating, “The division between human and robot is perhaps not as significant as that between intelligence and nonintelligence” (39). Daneel views himself and humans as intelligent beings, therefore they are more similar than different.

Daneel learns much of human ways while partnered with Lije in the City, so much so that he comes to understand deeper human notions such as faith, good, mercy, and evil. Daneel is programmed with a justice circuit, but that does not help him understand ambiguity, only his time among humans does that. At the conclusion of the novel, he grows so much as to state, “it suddenly seems to me that […] the destruction of what you people call evil, is less just and desirable than the conversion of this evil into what you call good” (270). Daneel’s growth is characterized by his ability to understand nuance. He sees that redemption and mercy are a part of justice.

Jezebel Baley is Elijah’s wife. She worked in the kitchens prior to their son Bentley’s birth. She goes by “Jessie” and distances herself from her proper name. She is also a romantic and a Medievalist. Her character serves as a catalyst for plot development and to show the effects of the robots on the community. Jessie deeply mistrusts robots and strives to connect with other humans. One of her primary motivations is to “minimize friction with the crowds that surround [her] on all sides” (55). She does not want to upset the natural order or do anything that makes her stand out. Thus, Jessie shuns the privileges granted to her by her husband’s position, as they separate her from her community and draw negative attention.

Jessie allows the opinions of others to sway her actions. She learns the truth of her name from Elijah and then shuns it. A coworker taunts her, and then she joins the Medievalist movement. When she confronts her husband about her involvement with the Medievalists, she agrees to exit the building only after she reapplies her makeup. Jessie is a foil for her husband. She cares about appearances, is romantic and impractical, and constantly worried about others’ ideas about her. Though an important character, Jessie does not experience growth during the novel.

Dr. Fastolfe created Robot Daneel Olivaw with Dr. Sarton. He is an older man with large ears. Lije finds him less intimidating, as he is less aloof than Lije expects of Spacers. Fastolfe calmly and kindly listens to Lije’s accusation of Daneel, then systematically breaks down the faults in his assumptions. Fastolfe does, however, drug Lije to install the idea of Outer World settlements in his mind. Lije believes this was just a restorative at the time. Fastolfe works single-mindedly for the advancement of the species, viewing trivial matters such as drugging police officers and the murder of a colleague as collateral damage toward that end.

The final mercy shown to Julius Enderby encapsulates this desire. Fastolfe knows that the importance of new settlements far outweighs the need to achieve justice for his friend’s murder. Enderby is uniquely positioned to spread the idea of new settlements, and Fastolfe knows that allowing Enderby to go free is crucial for the species’ survival. Dr. Fastolfe is happy to drop the murder case in exchange for Enderby’s help in recruiting the Medievalist movement to the cause of planetary expansion.