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
Its systems functioning normally, Discovery continues toward Saturn. In a daze, Bowman finds himself staring at one of Hal’s fisheye lenses. Hal speaks up unprompted, saying it’s “too bad” about Frank, and asking if Bowman is “broken up.” Though he does not want to believe Poole was murdered, Bowman cannot ignore the possibility, and decides to wake the rest of the crew for support. He asks Hal for manual hibernation control, but Hal is resistant, claiming such a measure is unnecessary. Bowman feels increasingly uneasy, taking this as the first sign of outright mutiny. Bowman commands Hal to give him control, but Hal refuses, citing subroutine C1435-dash-4, which gives him control of the ship if the crew is incapacitated.
For the first time, Hal becomes outright mutinous, refusing to give Bowman manual control of the hibernation units. Though Bowman is still unsure of Hal’s role in Poole’s death, such behavior heightens his preexisting suspicions. The once obedient, somewhat personality-lacking computer has been replaced by a commanding, self-assured figure. For better or worse, Hal now exhibits recognizably human character traits in his dealings with his human colleagues.
Themes
Bowman threatens to disconnect Hal. Hal claims to have been suspicious of this, but advises against it, arguing that he is a better “supervisor” of the ship. To Bowman’s surprise, however, Hal suddenly relents, ceding hibernation control to Bowman. Hal keeps his word, and Bowman sees the hibernaculum has switched from auto to manual mode. Bowman begins to revive Whitehead, but notices an unusual, if subtle, aberration in the normal rhythm of Discovery’s operations. Then, he hears a distinctive whirring sound coming from far off, and a chill enters his body. He realizes the airlock doors are opening in the space pod bay.
Bowman’s confrontation with Hal reaches its climax, threatening to disconnect him if he continues to refuse to obey orders. In response, Hal discloses his long-standing suspicions, validating Bowman and Poole's earlier unease in Chapter 23 and revealing Hal has possessed a secret, interior monologue for quite some time. As such, Hal emerges here as an increasingly human-like entity, capable of not only harboring fears, but also acting on them.
Themes
