Sex

The theme of Sex in The Robots of Dawn is approached primarily through the character of Gladia, a native of Solaria currently living on Aurora. Both Spacer worlds originally colonized from Earth centuries before, Solaria and Aurora are at polar opposites in their views (and taboos) on Sex. Protagonist Elijah Baley represents contemporary Earth humans' point of view: Sex ideally is limited to marriage and marriages are intended to be exclusive and forever. Procreation is not its sole purpose. Gladia summarizes the situation succinctly: Sex is taboo on Solaria and boring on Aurora.

On Solaria, Sex is taboo because humans touching flesh is taboo. Couples engage in Sex only occasionally, as an obligation to reach the two-child quota, and then gladly—so the official line goes—abandon the distasteful practice. Sex is not discussed even by women in the Personals (public bathrooms), where everything is discussed...