Abstract
<jats:p>This chapter compares Karel Čapek's play “R.U.R.” (1920) and Alexei Tolstoy's adaptation “Revolt of the Machines” (1924), focusing on their narratives of machine uprising. Čapek's original, emerging from post-WWI anxieties, is a philosophical drama exploring human nature, ethics, and dehumanization through robots gaining consciousness. Tolstoy, influenced by the Russian Revolution and Marxism, transforms Čapek's plot into a socio-political allegory of class struggle, emphasizing collective action against oppression. Key differences include terminology (“robot” vs. “machine”), crowd portrayal (mindless force vs. revolutionary agent), and thematic focus: Čapek ponders existential dilemmas, while Tolstoy prioritizes social justice and ideological conflict. Despite borrowing characters and plot, Tolstoy's adaptation, with its structural changes, original characters, and heightened political charge, stands as a distinct work reflecting Soviet realities, albeit at the cost of some philosophical depth.</jats:p>