What did the characters want?

Robots, in Asimov’s mind, are benevolent creatures that can be of use to humans if certain criteria is strictly followed. There is potential for trouble, and Asimov illustrates this trouble several times in his novel. Asimov discusses robots in great detail in this novel, making robotics a theme of the novel. Do robots want to be sentient or merely mechanical servants to humans? This is a question to ponder.