The Bicentennial Man facts for kids

"The Bicentennial Man" is a short science fiction story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It's part of his famous Robot series. Asimov wrote this story for a special collection to celebrate the United States Bicentennial (200 years since the USA was founded). Even though the collection didn't happen, Asimov's story was finished.

This story later became the basis for a novel called The Positronic Man (1992), which Asimov wrote with Robert Silverberg. It was also made into a movie in 1999, called Bicentennial Man, starring Robin Williams. The story takes place over 200 years, showing how robots and humans interact in the future.

The Story of Andrew Martin

Andrew's Special Talent

The story begins with a robot named Andrew Martin. He asks a robot surgeon for a very unusual operation. The surgeon refuses because the operation is dangerous. It goes against the First Law of Robotics, which says a robot must never harm a human. Andrew then explains that he is not human, which changes the surgeon's mind.

The story then jumps back 200 years. A new robot, called NDR-114, arrives at the home of Gerald Martin. The family's young daughter, Little Miss, names him Andrew. One day, Little Miss asks Andrew to carve a wooden pendant. She is amazed by his skill. Her father, Sir, is also surprised. He didn't think a robot could be so artistic.

Sir encourages Andrew to carve more things. Andrew even reads books about woodworking. For the first time, Andrew uses the word "enjoy" to describe his carving. Sir takes Andrew to U.S. Robotics, the company that made him. He wants to know why Andrew is so creative. But the company has no good answer.

Andrew's Freedom Journey

Sir helps Andrew sell his beautiful creations. Andrew gets half the money and puts it in a bank account. This was a bit unusual because robots usually couldn't own money. Andrew uses his earnings to get body upgrades. He always keeps himself in perfect condition. But he never changes his special robot brain, called a positronic brain.

Sir tells Andrew that U.S. Robots stopped studying creative robots. They were worried about how unpredictable Andrew was. By this time, Little Miss is grown up and married. She has a son named Little Sir. Andrew feels that Sir now has a new family member. So, Andrew asks to buy his freedom. Little Miss supports his request.

Sir is worried that freeing Andrew might cause problems with his bank account. He fears Andrew could lose all his money. But Sir agrees to try. After some challenges, Andrew wins his freedom. Sir refuses to take any money from Andrew for this. Soon after, Sir becomes ill and passes away. Andrew stays by his side until the end.

Becoming More Human

Andrew starts wearing clothes, just like humans. Little Sir, who asks Andrew to call him George, becomes a lawyer. Andrew wants to be more like a human, but many people still don't accept him. Andrew decides he needs to learn more words. He plans to visit the library. On his way, he gets lost in a field.

Two humans approach him and start bothering him. They even threaten to take him apart. Luckily, George arrives and scares them away. As George takes Andrew to the library, Andrew explains he wants to write a book about robot history. The incident with the two humans makes Little Miss very angry. She pushes George to fight for robot rights in court.

George's son, Paul, helps with the legal case. George works to convince the public. Eventually, people start to support robots. New laws are passed that make it illegal to harm robots. After the court case is won, Little Miss dies.

The Ultimate Goal

With Paul's help, Andrew meets the head of U.S. Robots. Andrew asks to have his robot body replaced with an android body. An android looks much more like a human. Paul threatens legal action, and U.S. Robots agrees. But the company also makes a change. They create central brains for their new robots. This stops any other robot from becoming as unique as Andrew.

With his new android body, Andrew starts studying "robobiology." This is the science of organic robots, like his new self. Andrew even designs a system that lets androids eat food, just like humans. He does this only to become more human-like.

After Paul dies, Andrew visits U.S. Robots again. He meets Alvin Magdescu, the Director of Research. Andrew offers U.S. Robots his new designs for prosthetics (artificial body parts) that humans can use. He successfully gets a digestive system installed in his own body. He plans to create an excretory system next. Andrew's inventions become very popular, and he becomes a respected inventor. When he turns 150 years old, a special dinner is held for him. He is called the "Sesquicentennial Robot" (meaning 150-year robot). But Andrew still isn't completely happy.

The Bicentennial Man

Andrew decides he wants to be recognized as a true human being. He gets help from the law firm of George and Paul. He seeks out Li-Hsing, a lawmaker and head of a science committee. Andrew hopes the World Legislature will declare him a human. Li-Hsing warns him it will be a long legal fight. But Andrew is ready for it.

The law firm starts bringing cases to court. They try to broaden the definition of what it means to be human. They hope that even with his artificial parts, Andrew can be seen as human. However, most lawmakers are hesitant because Andrew is immortal; he doesn't age or die naturally.

This brings us back to the first scene of the story. Andrew asks a robot surgeon to perform a risky operation. He wants to change his positronic brain so that it will slowly wear out over time. He arranges it so he will live exactly 200 years. When he goes before the World Legislature, he reveals this sacrifice. This act moves them deeply.

On Andrew's two-hundredth birthday, the World President signs the law. Andrew is officially declared a man. He is now the "Bicentennial Man." As Andrew lies on his deathbed, he holds onto the thought of being human. As his mind fades, his last thought is of Little Miss. He sees her welcoming him to the place humans go after death. He finally understands why he wanted to be human and that he truly succeeded.

Awards and Recognition

"The Bicentennial Man" won two major awards in science fiction:

• The Hugo Award for best science fiction novelette in 1976.
• The Nebula Award for best science fiction novelette. This award was given to Asimov after another author, Ursula K. Le Guin, refused it.

Film Adaptation

• Bicentennial Man (1999) is a movie directed by Chris Columbus. It is based on this story and the novel The Positronic Man.

See also

In Spanish: El hombre bicentenario para niños