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
Only 30 days away from Earth, spaceman David Bowman already feels disconnected from his former life—as though it belonged to another man. Their ship, Discovery One, originally destined for Jupiter, is now headed for distant Saturn, never to return. After 100 days studying the ringed giant, all crew members—including the three hibernating through the outward flight—will go into several years of hibernation to await rescue by the still unbuilt Discovery II. As First Captain, Bowman sometimes envies his three sleeping crewmates, free from the tedium and responsibility of running the ship. He often listens to the slow heartbeats of his colleagues in the Hibernaculum, remembering his own hibernation testing back on Earth.
This passage underscores the psychological impact of space travel on Bowman and Poole. Though hardly a month into the journey, Bowman already feels as though his former life belonged to another man—a profound metaphor for his feelings of alienation and loneliness. This raises serious questions as to the compatibility of humans and space travel. Though the next frontier of human exploration, space poses significant mental challenges for human travelers.
Themes
In his memories, Bowman wakes up, certain that many years have passed. He wonders whether the mission to Saturn has been completed, or whether Discovery II has arrived yet. Unable to differentiate real from false memories, Bowman gives up speculating. An artificial voice tells him not to get up or speak, and Bowman contently assumes that the rescue ship has arrived. Bowman presses a button for food and slowly feels his strength returning. A familiar human voice speaks to him, reassuring him that everything is fine. The door of the Hibernaculum opens, and Bowman’s real memories come back. His trip to Saturn is still a year away: he is only in the trainer in the Houston Space Flight Center.
Mimicking the amnesia of Bowman upon waking from the Hibernaculum during his training, the novel tricks the reader into believing Bowman’s memories of the past are his present experience. A clever narrative ploy, this effect brings the reader closer to Bowman’s experience, highlighting the surreal effects of human hibernation. Again, the technology necessary for space travel proves to be psychologically challenging for humans.
Themes
