Running head: A HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY 1

The Journey to the Galaxy

Name

Institutional Affiliation
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Introduction

A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, is a science-fictional trilogy in which the author

Douglas uses presentation, metaphor, personification and the use of imagery to bring out humor

on the unknowable purpose of human existence. The authors creativity in this trilogy has a

cross-generational appeal. This novel was an adaptation of a four-part radio series by Douglas

with the same name. The trilogy A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy has themes of lostness

and loneliness which is expressed through the general plot line where the earth is destroyed; one

man survives leading him to search for a home and happiness. The primary intent of this journey

around the universe is to find and understand the ultimate question of life, the universe, and its

answers. In the universe, everyone is searching for a sense of belonging.

The plot in Adams classic sci-fi starts with that was normal then it starts to get weird.

Arthur Dent is an ordinary man from Guildford whose house gets demolished so that a road is

built. Since then his life starts to change rapidly. Arthurs friend is an alien called Ford Prefect

who arrives after Arthurs house has been demolished. He explains to Arthur that he comes from

a different planet and that an alien race called the Vogons had plans of destroying Earth. After the

Earth was destroyed, they manage to hitchhike on one of Vogons crafts. Arthur together with

Ford embarks on an adventure of a lifetime; they are joined with Zaphod Beeblebrox who is like

the president of the galaxy, Trillian human woman who is intelligent and Marvin. Together they

travel to the universe on the Heart of Gold which is a stolen spaceship by Zaphod as they set to

find out the meaning of life and its secrets.

The hitchhikers use its metaphors to significant effect to shape the universe view that it is

impossible to find the answers to the burning questions of life. The truth is unknowable, and the
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secrets of life are guarded. The beginning of the book introduces the reader to the Guide is an

electronic book with an enormous memory which as much as it has a large memory it still has

limitations. The Guide might be a large memory wise, but the universe is massive in every

aspect. Looking back at the 1970s Adam was writing the radio show that became the book of an

electronic science fiction in the 21st century. Understanding the Guide through Adams

description, it has the resemblance of an extensive electronic calculator. The Guide serves the

purpose of a convenient and useful to acquire information. In the instance of the story of the

Babel fish, the guide provided this story to Arthur and the readers (p6). The authors footnotes

and funny stories are mostly availed by the Guide for example in the story of Veet Voojagig, they

man who believed that ballpoints had life in them and had their planet (p21).

A notable thing that is visible with the Guide that makes it stand out is the fact it is not

always accurate with the information which we think its because it is like a reference book. It

does not always bring out truths but relays something close to the truth which can be referred as

truthiness. There are times that this Guide becomes less of the handbook and, it seems like a

good friend who had been given the wrong information. For instance when the Guide gave a

recipe for a very compelling intoxicating drink instead of the scientific explanation of what was

alcohol (2.2). The Guide is a symbol of our defeat by the universe for it will always be a giant

with complexity.

The spaceship that Zaphod stole is known as The Heart of Gold and its engine that drives

it is known as Infinite Improbability Drive. The spacecrafts name the Heart of Gold means a

person who is sweet and kind. Zaphod Beeblebrox is an example of a character who has a heart

of gold who cares about other people. He shows this when he still picked up hitchhikers as he

was running from the police. But then again this statement is not entirely accurate as Zaphod
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does not have a heart of gold, but yes he holds the Heart of Gold starship. This statement is

supported when he half-heartedly approves for the rescue of Arthur and Ford by the spaceship.

Zaphod even states that he would not mind if people died for him to avoid being inconvenienced.

We as the readers at times find ourselves quoting that a person has a heart of gold to describe a

warm person even when it is not assured that they will be a good girl. Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz was

thought to have a heart of gold since his poetry told of a beautiful and warm guy. But this too

was totally wrong this is supported when he corrects Arthur and Ford who tell him that his poetry

is from his heart of gold. He tells them that he only writes poetry to give his heartless character a

relief and not to express love. From the many examples that show how this galaxy is lacking

people with sincere, kind hearts, it seems rather funny and ironic for a ship that travels all around

the galaxy to have such a name.

In the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy story, we read of many tasty things like tea, beer,

Galactic Gargle Blasters, and Vegan Rhino among many others. The Vegan Rhino, to begin with,

is not a rhino that is on a strict vegan diet but is just an evil smelling meat which was served at

a big party for Arthur and his companions. It is termed as a bad meat as the mice only served it

because they had a business in mind and wanted to make an offer. The mice did this so they

would make Arthur and his friends warm towards them. Zaphod further supported this message

when he found it weird that all of a sudden the mice were being kind and served them with a

good meal to make it up to them. Earth food was also used in earth situations like the instance

when Ford was trying to create a friendship between him and Arthur. Ford offered Arthur a beer

as a muscle reluctant and peanut to act as a supplement to replace the salt and protein that Arthur

had lost. These were pleasant alien understandings of our shared foods.
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Tea in space was used in powering the improbability machines by the aliens instead of

drinking it like we do. This reason is understood in the statement To be able to generate little

amounts of finite improbability one is to hook the logic circuits to an atomic vector then

suspended in a strong Brownian Motion producer like a good hot cup of tea. Adam mixes

scientific words and food stuff where we list expect it by doing this he gave us a picture that our

foods and habits are weird when we view it from an alien's point of view. Earlier on the aliens

had built a big computer that they named Deep Thought, which they believed held the key to

uncovering the answers to life and the universe. After the demolition of Earth by the Vogons two

mice Frankie and Benjy arrive in Magrathea disguising themselves as pets belonging to Trillian.

The mice believe that Arthur is the key to the computer answering life's biggest questions. They

believe that since Arthur was the last generation of humans and a product that was modified his

brain had the question imprinted in his mind.

This trilogy is filled with the theme of absurdity gives a picture of a galaxy that is pretty

messed up where almost everything goes wrong, and only a few things meet our expectations.

Strange things happen in this universe, like the very existence of Infinite Improbability Drive or

the time when a pile of eggs dropped on planet Poghril to feed the last Poghrilian. But it dies not

end well for the Poghrilian as he dies of high cholesterol. From the example, we clearly see how

this universe is a very crazy place. The world in this book is a crazy place since even the little

things in life that do not have any effect will turn to be wrong, for instance, the Earth proved to

be the giant computer that was running a program which was controlled by mice. The author uses

the theme of sadness in Arthurs character, but the sad part is that sadness is a common trait in

this universe that is full of things that do not make sense. But even with all this gloom and

darkness all around the Hitchhikers Guide still, has a good sense of humor like the moments
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when Marvin depressed a computer so much it committed suicide well this is humorous as long

as I am not the computer.

The characters in this book are full of foolishness and folly in almost every chapter.

Zaphod wins the medal for being the best in the stupidity competition as he is known for doing

the most foolish things yet he finds it offensive when another person does it. One thing that we

need to accept from the book is that the groups of individuals are represented as fools starting

with the aliens to the delusional philosophers. This galaxy might be filled with a lot of foolish

people, but it is a very captivating and unusual place that has large empty spaces, a giant

computer that is portrayed as an alien who wants to destroy Earth and filled with binary stars.

The galaxy is filled with awe as one is unsure of where they are headed and how useless one can

be.

Defeat in the Hitchhikers Guide is a condition that all of our favorite characters. But

there is humor in all this failing because it is rather funny to watch as they fail as long as it is not

something that could kill them. Adams performed a balancing act to ensure he does not kill his

actors by creating humor out of their failures. Many readers would like to see this characters

succeed this is an absurd universe, so the idea of having success defeat is rather difficult. Art and

culture are great themes used in Hitchhikers Guide mostly if you have an ulterior motive. Vogon

poetry is like torture and should be prohibited. Adam presents our own of being a celebrity this is

proved by the story of how people wanted to meet the president of the galaxy. His fame came

from the fact that he was the president and had famous friends.

The theme of science is used to make the point that we, us human beings are unimportant

and our understanding of the universe around has always been wrong. The science from this
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book makes us re-evaluate our beliefs and theories of the earth like when Earth was called a

computer owned by mice or the various theories of whether the Earth is flat or round. These

theories and the Earth being the symbol of a computer makes humans feel small and

unimportant. Hitchhikers Guide also reveals to us amazing technology like the existence of the

Infinite Improbability Drive though it does not maximize its use and potential in this book.

Communication in this book can be termed as pretty bad as there is a lot of miscommunication

between the characters, making them have so much trouble understanding each other the help of

the Babel fish in translating proves not to help. Analyzing the effectiveness of communication in

this story nothing ever works from the use of slang, body language, or writing. It just seems that

communication is another way for things to go wrong in this absurd comedy. Even Arthur the

main character had an issue understanding Ford when he tried to convince Arthur that he was

safe on the Vogon ship yet Arthurs knowledge of safe did not mean that his planet was being

destroyed.

Conclusion

In the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, exploration is defined as the experiencing of new

things by going out into the unknown, and it is usually very dangerous. Arthur took the risk and

went out to explore in the hope that he will find a place that he will feel he belongs in. But some

characters explored for the wrong motives, like Zaphod who was greedy the mice who only want

to have money. Although Arthur was trying to understand this world and find out its secrets the

world always prevented him from doing that. Readers can empathize with Arthur as he loses

what he always believed to be his home and the discovery of new truths he was unaware of as he

tried to find a sense of belonging. This story has laid down facts of the world we live in when

you think you know someone by how they behave but finally with the person you get to see the
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person for who he is. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy depicts home in a natural manner

for any who has felt the pain of losing a home and is faced with the reality finding a new where

they can belong.

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References

Adams, D. (2005). The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. London: Picador.