i,Robot (Pgs. 206 to pg. 272)

Summary:

"Evidence" starts out by talking about how the jump through hyperspace was perfected. Evidently, they also have human colonies on other planets.We meet Francis Quinn, who was a politician of the new school. Quinn neither ran for office nor campaigned for votes, and made no speeches. Quinn and Dr. Lanning discuss Stephen Byerley's possibility of being the new mayor and how it was in Lanning's best interest to keep him a district attorney. Just when Dr. Lanning thinks that he is doing a good job at concealing Byerley by saying how closely he's investigated him, Quinn couldn't help but remark that Byerley doesn't eat! It is to Quinn's understanding that Byerley has never been seen eating or drinking, and he adds emphasis on the word 'never.' He claims that Byerley has not been seen drinking in the 'aqueous'—or alcoholic senses for that matter, nor does he sleep. Dr. Lanning soon realizes that Quinn is suggesting that Byerley is inhuman—a robot.

Quote:

"There was a pause of moderate length, and then Quinn leaned forward, so that his imaged-face expanded and the fine lines on his forehead were visible..." (Asimov 231).

Reaction:

This quote grabbed my attention because it went the extra mile in terms of descriptive details. The purpose of meticulously describing Quinn was to emphasize that he was serious. There wasn't just any pause after Byerley's warning about searching his teacher's 'country place,' rather, there was a pause of 'moderate length.' His face is also described as 'imaged' so perhaps full of color and life and that it got bigger. Quinn and Byerley were arguing about searching for a place that belonged to Stephen Allen Byerley, because Byerley did not think that he would find any robots there. The lines on his forehead weren't just lines, but they were 'fine' lines. This part immediately reminded me of my brother and how he has a habit to wrinkle his forehead by bringing his eyebrows together. There is very good imagery here.