Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Essay

An Analysis of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adam’s book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, takes readers on a fast-paced adventure through the universe where things are more than they originally seem to be. The protagonist, Arthur Dent, is thrown from his simple life into an intergalactic adventure beginning with the demolition of Earth. Throughout the journey he is accompanied by his alien friend, Ford Perfect, and encounters a wide array of alien races and unlikely experiences dictated by the Improbability Drive. Later, the two are roped into a grand heist and quest for the lost planet Magrathea by the galactic president which makes matters more complicated (and strange). Not only does Arthur learn that Earth was actually

Through a ridiculous description involving an atomic vector plotter soaking in a cup of tea, Adams brings this impossible machine into existence (85). While the entire premise of the Drive is outrageous, I believe that this is exactly the point. According to how we understand the world and construct reality, the idea of using the random motion of particles in a cup of tea to teleport across galaxies is incomprehensible. We simply cannot get that concept to fit into our understanding of reality and therefore dismiss it without hesitation. Through our attempts at making sense of the world, we could, in fact, be missing certain aspects that are overshadowed by the very rules we

This erratic narrative instead keeps readers guessing and encourages them to simply enjoy things as they come. The illusion of understanding just gets in the way of an enjoyable story told through Adam’s witty style. He challenges us to open our minds to ideas that would normally be dismissed as preposterous by shedding our desire to make sense of everything. There are some things in life that are beyond understanding so why preoccupy ourselves with forcing them into a pseudo-framework? While laws and theories are helpful, they should not be allowed to impede true