How we cite our quotes: (Story title.paragraph)
Quote #1
"Robbie was constructed for only one purpose really—to be the companion of a little child. His entire 'mentality' has been created for the purpose. He just can't help being faithful and loving and kind. He's a machine—made so. That's more than you can say for humans." (Robbie.76)
We've quoted this before and we'll do so again because we love this line. It really helps express how the robots are designed to be good. Robbie doesn't really have a choice in the matter—he has to be good. There's something ironic in the way that Asimov turns something that sounds negative ("he's a machine") into something positive ("He just can't help being faithful and loving and kind").
Quote #2
"Hold on, Greg. There are human rules of behavior, too. You don't go out there just like that. Figure out a lottery, and give me my chance." (Runaround.210)
At the end of "Runaround," Powell makes a choice to risk his life to save his friend—which is the same thing that Donovan wants to do. Donovan doesn't get to make that choice because Powell has already made the choice for them both. This is a strange moment where human choices come into conflict. Awkward.
Quote #3
"I merely kept all dials at equilibrium in accordance with the will of the Master." (Reason.211)
We laugh at this because Cutie is doing something he thinks is religious but we think is engineering. What's interesting to us is that Cutie doesn't exactly have a choice about what he does—he has to protect humans. But he does have a choice about how he thinks about it. What a rebel. Religious fervor never looked so technical.