The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Essay Example for Free

The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy EssayThe Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide is the collection of 5 nurses in iodin novel. A combination of clever wits and hilarity, this book is sure to let you laugh unwrap loud. This book brings simple things into extraordinary packages (like making a bunco about a digital watch and a bath towel). The book, although written in a subtile and not competent style is in like worldly concernner full of humor. The story is a parody, which is a form of writing that uses the conventions and rules of sensation form and uses them for hilarity or comic effect. It move be distinguished from ridicule form because satire entirely points out human folly and reforms them, while parody is in the style of writing itself. unrivaled of the most noticeable stem turns in The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide is the absurdity of the story. Things in the story excrete randomly without meaning or cause. Although absurdity is one of the major themes of the story, most of the random meaningless things that blow over in the story actu e true(prenominal)y develop meanings they be the product of the Infinite Improbability Drive on the spaceship Heart of Gold. The absurdity of the themes all in allows the reason to introduce oddities in the story.The Author Douglas Noel Adams, also accreditn as Bop Ad and DNA, was an author, a radio dramatist and a musician all rolled into one. He is well known for his wrick, The Hitchhikerss Guide to the Galaxy, which is a series that began on the radio, and was later on highly-developed into a trilogy of five books, a television series, a towel, a comic book series, a computing device game, and a feature film. (Douglas Adams) Adams also wrote Doctor Who, Dirk Gently, Liff, and Last Chance to See. The idea of the computer game Starship Titanic also originated from Douglas Adams. (Douglas Adams) Furthermore, he was also known as an environmental activist, actively participating in the campaign f or the preservation and the restoration of the environment. He was also a self-described radical atheist, and a aw ar techie (he loves cars, cameras, Macintosh computers, and other gizmos). He even uses the electronic mail and the Usenet long before it was wide known. (Douglas Adams) He died at the age of 49 and has been an institution in the field of fantasy fandom circles and science fiction. (Douglas Adams)CharactersArthur disfigurement the feeble lead character of the story who never fails to give hilarious stand-ups with his sidekick cross Prefect interbreeding Prefect a daring, researcher of the revised edition of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy who considered himself as an out of the work actor he dragged Arthur Dent and together, they travel the galaxy using the Hitchhikers GuideZaphod Beeblebrox the totally out to lunch president of the galaxy a two-headed, three armed ex-hippieTrillian authorly known as Tricia Mcmillan young woman of Zaphod whom Arthur tried to hook up with in one of the galaxys time zoneMarvin a brilliant, obsessed, and sequentially depressed robotVeet Voojagig a graduate student who is very much obsessed with ball-point pens slicingSlartibartfast the one who told Arthur the Earths story fat eyeshot the passing intelligent computerBenjy Moouse and Frankie pilfer the mice that tried to get Arthurs brain from himSlartibartfast the Earths designer, who is very proud to receive an exhibit for his design of the Norwegian fordsProtetnic Vogon Jeltz the commander of the Vogon Construction Fleet the one who assigned to demolish the EarthEddie the annoyingly cheerful computer on board the Heart of GoldFlook one of the computer programmers who programmed Deep rulingSummaryThe story begins when Arthur Dent wakes up just to discover a bulldozer about to soak down his house because someone is planning to build a galactic freeway. He went out and lies in front of the bulldozer saying that he doesnt know of the plans until the day before.Moments before a cosmic construction team demolish the Earth to build a galactic freeway Arthur Dent is dragged gain the artificial satellite by his daring friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the book, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. As they journey through the endless and unknowable space, they literally wreak hilarious havoc.Ford alship shagal carries with him the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, a book which contains the so-called guide to ones travel in the universe. In it are the words dont panic, written in a large and matey letters. Ford, following what is written on the book, also carries with him a large bath towel believe that it is the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker squirt have. In this part of the story, we can foresee that the nature of things on Earth is very much universal.Meanwhile, Marvin, Zaphod Beeblebrox and his girlfriend Trillian are traveling inside a new traveling ship (Heart of Gold), stolen by Zapho d. They bumped with Arthur and Ford Prefect in the universe vacuum. Together, they journey towards a unreal artificial satellite known as Magrathea. This planet is known to construct other planets and for some reasons unknown to all of them, Zaphod wanted to visit this planet. (Zaphod forgets some things because he conditioned his two brains to do such).Finally, the Heart of Gold come to the planet they all want to go Magrathea. They resolute to explore the smirch first and when they notice that the move created by their space ship resulted to open the planets crust to reveal underground networks of tunnels. They decided to go inside the tunnel while leaving Arthur and Marvin behind. While inside the tunnel, they suddenly realized that the inlet behind them were shut and the place they are in are beginning to be filled with gas.On the other hand, while Arthur waits for the others to return, he reads the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, particularly a part where it discusses what happens to a lost biro (a ball-point pen). An elderly man named Slartibartfast suddenly appeared into the view introducing himself to Arthur. He then asked Arthur to come with him in his radiate car. Slartibartfast took Arthur into the place were they make luxury planets.He also told Arthur that they are now rebuilding a planet called Earth and that Earth is a custom-made luxury planet. Slartibartfast works in Norway and so he was very upset to hear that the planet was destroyed. Moreover, he was told that the original Earth was actually commissioned, and was supposedly to be hold on entirely by mice. But the most unacceptable fact of all is that human beings are just part of a research program.Slartibartfast then started to tell Arthur the Earths tale. He told him that the one thousand thousands of years ago, a particular race of very intelligent creatures were all set to determine the very meaning of life. Because of this, they created an extremely intelligent computer ca lled The Deep Thought. Two of its programmers, Lunk leave and Fook ask Deep Thought to tell them the declaration to the real meaning of everything. Deep Thought then told them that in seven and a half million years, the query will be answered.Arthur was very much awed by the story but he tells him that he in reality have no idea what the connection is between the Earth, the computer and the mice. Slartibartfast then invited Arthur to his playing area and showed him the day of the Great Answer seven and a half million years later.Arthur was plunged into the Sens-O Tape, a human body of tape that would take you to your requested time. A lot of tribe were waiting for the answer when Deep Thought then revealed that the answer to their Ultimate Question of Life is the Number Forty Two. Arthur then notices that the people doesnt like Deep Thoughts answer, and the intelligent computer, justifying himself, told them that the problem is actually not with the answer, but with the quest ion. If the people only find out what the real question is, they would be able to understand the answer. Unfortunately for the people, Deep Thought cannot provide them with the answer, but it offered help by saying that the he will design a very intelligent computer which can give them the answer. And that computer will be called The Earth.Meanwhile, on the other side of the story, Trillian and Ford listen to Zaphod as he tries to remember what happened to his brain. He then remembered that before Yooden Vranx, the former President of the Universe died, he visit Zaphod and asked him to run for the Presidency and steal the Heart of Gold. He also told Zaphod to modify his own brain so that he will pass the Presidential Brain display Test (this test will show all the things the candidates are thinking). At that moment, a Magrathean man tells them that the mice are now willing to see them.Arthur and Slartibartfast, on the other hand, are contemplating about the Earths destruction, as w ell as the fact that it happened five minutes juts before the computer program was completed. A man then appeared on the view and asked Arthur to meet the mice. The mice wanted to meet him because he was on Earth the wickedness before the destruction happened and whitethornbe he can tell him something in reality important.Arthur and Slartibartfast then met up with Trillian, Ford and Zaphod at the design room. Two mice, Benjy mouse and Frankie mouse, were the mice present at the meting. The mice decided that since Arthur was on Earth five minutes before the destruction, the structure of his brain can tell them the Ultimate Question.They offer to surgically charter it for him but Arthur doesnt want to cooperate so the mice, together with the other Margatheans went down to get Arthurs brain. The situation was almost hopeless for Arthur and his friends when an ear splitting alarm distracts all of them. Because of this, the quartette travelers use the bewitchery to get out. But the co ps from the space ship with the ear splitting sound then cornered the four travelers but they soon found themselves again so lucky when they once again escaped.After the hard-won escape, they all then decided to take a bite at a restaurant located at the very end of the universe.Analysis The whole story almost revolves on looking for the Ultimate Question, which is the real meaning of life. It is an inescapable fact that whatever happens, and whatever time or era or place in space it is, the question of the real meaning of life never fails to haunts us all. The story may be simple, even comical, but that doesnt stop it from bringing us airlessr to the Ultimate Question about life. Why we live, the reason why we are here, the purpose of our existence, these are just some of the questions where we will find time to look for the answer. It was also mentioned in the story how important the great question is. encounter that the First Earth was destroyed but they still want to build ano ther Earth for them to know what the real meaning of life is. Notice that the story never mentioned the real answer to this question. This is because it is really close to impossible for us to know what life really is all about. It is up to each and every one of us to find the answer for ourselves. The absurd simplicity of the answer (number 42) to the question also makes the story raise. secure imagine if Deep Thought gave a much serious answer, it wouldnt be as interesting as it was. It is also safe to note that the author actually uses mice as the creatures which, according to the story can control all human beings. It is an ultimate change because it is very rare, and that more very much than not, human beings are always in control. Maybe it is just a representation how important every creation on Earth is.Bureaucracy and incompetence continue to show up as a central theme alongside random, im probable coincidence. It is beginning to sound a bit like Chaos theory, which holds that order can be found in seemingly random data. One aspect of chaos theory is a phenomenon called sensitive dependence on existing conditions. The thought is that small changes in initial conditions can have drastic effects on the outcome. Douglas Adams Hitch Hiker series could be considered in some ways a humorous study of Chaos theory.(Adams, 2005)Zaphods character can also remind us of todays world leaders leaders who do not tell their real want of running for the position. Although his character is really kind, it is an indication that outside forces (like the former president) can turn a steady-going leader to someone he is not.It is also interesting to note how Ford appreciates the way human beings deal of the obvious. Saying Its a nice day when the weather is perfect, just says how we want to state what we often see. It also states that a need to communicate with others is necessary because taken from what Ford said, human beings should have someone to talk to. Where t hey can tell what they are thinking, to show appreciation and affirmation.Furthermore, Marvins character (the robot) also tells us how human beings are fascinated with creating something that can help us make our lives easier. Take for example the deterrent example of the robot. Just imagine something that doesnt sleep and doesnt eat but can be able to do physical things an average human beings cannot do. But just like Marvin, it also tells us that robots can also make a lot of mistakes and that human beings are the ones who can really think for themselves. in that location is something called the Infinite Improbability Drive which is considered as the engine of the starship Heart of Gold. This is a representation that a lot of things in this world are improbable and we need a lot of experiences to discover the probable side of all these improbability.Another interesting part of the book is the part where it was mentioned that the loss of biro or ball-point pen brought problems in t he world. Notice the comical effect of this part because instead of the starvation, hunger, or political killings, the author focused on a comical problem to create a hilarious effect on the story.It is also evident in the story how incompetence, bureaucracy and selfishness sometimes became the theme of the story. It should be noted how those who veneration much about finding the answer to life (the philosophers), are actually the ones who are also preventing it from approach shot to life. They are the ones who seem to be the happiest regarding the seven and a half million years because they will be very much benefited from this ignorance.The extraterrestrials and the aliens are also a big part of the story. The story tells us that aliens really exist and they are actually much more advance than us. It is now a question of whether we are going to believe it what the story tells us or not.According to studies, extraterrestrials are life that originated fro outside the planet earth which is the only place in the entire universe known to support life. The existence of such life is currently hypothetical because there is not enough evidence to say that there really is life outside the earth. All in all, the story is a masterpiece, one that can touch two end of the spectrum because of its comical absurdity and hidden metaphorical meanings. Definitely a must read.ReferenceAdams, D. (2005). The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. 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