The Gods Themselves

The Gods Themselves. Why did Isaac Asimov entitle his novel thus? Who are the gods that are the focus of the book? I believe that they are the Hard Ones, and if this is the case I pity the universes for having monsters that fulfill the role of gods.

In class we discussed Dua and why she had to die. Professor Jackson asked us whether in the end Dua loses everything or not. I believe she does. The book says as the triad merges to become a Hard One, “The cry that was Dua’s and yet not Dua’s stopped and there was no longer any Dua; nor would there ever be Dua again” (167). Life in the para-universe begins with the Soft Ones. The Soft Ones hit the second stage of their life when they become a triad, composed of a Rational, an Emotional, and a Parental. Their final stage is adulthood, or the stage of being a Hard One, which is reached by the merging of the triad. The Hard Ones combined triads carefully to form advanced Hard Ones and the triad of Dua, Odeen, and Tritt was the best one because of Dua, Dua the Left-Em. Because during the Hard One stage the Rationale aspects would take over, Dua’s rational characteristics would make the Hard One formed by that triad especially strong. But, is this a good thing? For Dua, the Hard Ones represented all that was wrong with the universe; they were the enemy she fought against. Though she was incorrect in her believe that they manufactured the Soft Ones as machines, she was correct in her belief that “they [the Hard Ones] are prepared to destroy a whole Universe if they have to” (155). The Hard Ones knew that the Sun would explode in our universe, yet they were more than willing to sacrifice this universe so that they would have unlimited energy. As Dua is dying she cries out, “No, we can’t stop Estwald. We are Estwald” (167). Asimov writes Dua in a way that the reader strongly empathizes with her and trusts her instincts. Her belief that the Hard Ones, especially Estwald, are evil becomes our belief, and her belief that all hope is lost becomes our belief. Dua truly loses herself to the Hard One that she becomes.

How does this fit into the concept of the Hard Ones being the gods that Asimov refers to in the title? Dua knows that the Hard Ones control everything in their universe. In her words, “They are alive, the Hard Ones. Only they. They don’t talk about it much. They don’t have to. They all know it” (153). The Soft Ones are like children looking up to the Hard Ones to teach them, but the Hard Ones possess all the knowledge of and make all the scientific decisions in the para-universe. They are like gods, introducing our universe to the miracle of the Electron Pump and controlling the fate of humanity. Most people believe that the Electron Pump is a positive force that could not possibly harm them, and the few that understand this fact refuse to accept is because of “sheer thickheaded stupidity” (68), in Peter Lamont’s words. On the other hand, the Hard Ones as a whole know and understand the fact that the Sun will explode destroying humanity. They are gods, possessing superior intelligence, full awareness, and the power to destroy a race. And if they are the gods, then the universes in The Gods Themselves must be pitied for their gods are cruel and represent all that is evil. I think Asimov does this in order to comment on the role of scientists and stupidity. Scientists uncover the universe’s mysteries, making discoveries along the way that may help humankind. In that they possess significant knowledge about the universe and can affect the future of the universe, they are gods. Sometimes, however, their discoveries endanger humankind but they refuse to acknowledge this because of sheer stupidity. Peter Lamont’s and Mike Bronowski’s comments on stupidity and the title of the first part of the book, “Against stupidity…”, are a warning to all people, especially scientists, not to play the role of malicious gods.