The rabbit serves as a metaphor for humans’ inability to fully comprehend robotic intelligence and the fact that robots are in fact, superior to the human race. In “Catch That Rabbit,” Donovan and Powell, as Powell tells Donovan, “The first step in cooking rabbit stew is catching the rabbit.” This is figurative in the context of the story—it means that they have to figure out the circumstances under which Dave, a robot, is malfunctioning before they can fix him. The metaphor illustrates that Powell does not fully comprehend the issue that the robot is experiencing despite being well-trained engineers. Ironically, it also likens the robot to an animal, emphasizing the robot’s lower status and Powell’s arrogant attitude the humans will eventually prove their superiority over the robot despite not understanding them.
The rabbit is referred to only once more in the story. In trying to figure out Dave’s glitches, Donovan and Powell accidentally trap themselves in a cave-in at the mine. Asimov writes of the crevice in which they are stuck: “no point was there room for a rabbit to squeeze through.” Now, the humans are the ones who are analogous to the rabbit—they are inferior. The fact that they have created their own folly and need Dave to free themselves illustrates how they now have the lower status of an animal, depending on the superior robot to get them out of their trap.
Rabbit Symbol Timeline in I, Robot
