Previous
Chapter 11
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in 2001: A Space Odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Collaboration vs. Individualism
Tools and Human Evolution
Space Travel
The Perils of Knowledge
Summary
Analysis
Traveling to the Tycho crater, Floyd reflects on the insignificance of human history compared to the three-million-year existence of TMA-1. As Dr. Michaels had explained, the creatures who put it on the moon were clearly building for “eternity.” Thus, while the slab confirms the existence of intelligent extra-terrestrial life, it also means they missed humans by a “hundred thousand generations”—a sad thought. Floyd ruminates on the various theories concerning the slab’s purpose and provenance, as well as the scientists’ failed attempts to sample the slab’s material. Deep space seems the most logical origin for the extraterrestrials, despite interstellar travel supposedly being impossible. Floyd decides to collect more evidence before coming to any conclusions.
The monolith forces Floyd and his fellow scientists to reconsider much that they think about the universe and their role within it. Not only does it prove the existence of intelligent life outside of Earth, but its old age and durability suggests an alien race much older and far more intelligent than humanity. This is a blow to human pride, suggesting that, at least within the cosmos, humanity may be nothing special. Its existence also challenges scientific theories around interstellar travel. Long thought to be impossible, the monolith’s presence on the moon seems to suggest otherwise.
Themes
The vehicle drives down an inner terrace of Tycho, and Floyd spies a tiny camp in the distance. Coming to the lip of the crater, Floyd sees TMA-1, nearly invisible despite all the light from Earth. Now only 20 feet from the object, Floyd is awestruck by its geometrical perfection, as well as its deep blackness: it seems “the very crystallization of night.” Floodlights turn on, and the monolith seems to consume them. Floyd is filled with foreboding, comparing the monolith to Pandora’s box, and wondering what man will “find inside.”
Likening the monolith to Pandora’s Box, Floyd considers the possible repercussions of continuing to examine the enigmatic structure. Despite his foreboding, however, Floyd too succumbs to the monolith's allure, exemplified by his open-ended question: "And what will he find inside?" This highlights the power of human curiosity, emphasizing that, even at its own peril, humanity cannot resist delving into the unknown.
Themes
