En analyse av the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Kommentarer?

[Hawtz]

Hei, jeg skal levere en engelsk innlevering på torsdag, og lurte på om jeg kunne få noen tilbakemeldinger det jeg har skrevet. På forhånd takk.

Spørsmålene:

-Analyse the Arthur Dent character; what are his reactions to what happens to him?

 

-Give examples of at least 1 scene where ABSURDITY occurs in the book.

- What makes the book funny, in your opinion?

 

- What is the most important theme of the book?

 

-Finally; your opinion of the novel

 

Analysen:

Analysis: Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

By Douglas Adams

 

The book I read was the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. A book later dramatized by the director Garth Jennings. And the coming pages of text will be my analysis of the book.

The story kicks off with the main character; Arthur Dent, and the fact that that his house is threatened to be demolished in order to build a bypass. His friend, Ford Prefect arrives at Arthur’s house telling him that the Earth will end in approximately 12 minutes, by the alien creatures Vogons in order to build a hyperspace bypass. The two mentioned characters then hitch a ride on the Vogon Construction Fleet; however few minutes later they’re thrown out due to Arthur’s comment on the presentation of a Vogon poem, which is known as the third worst in the Universe. Shorter than thirty seconds later, they are, although highly improbable, picked up by the Heart of Gold, a spaceship, where the currently crew is the President of the Galaxy; Zaphod Beeblebrox and Trillian, a girl whom Arthur had met at a costume party a few months back which he sadly blew it with.

The story then continues in a quest of finding the planet Magrathea, which they succeed in finding. The party splits up, whereas Arthur has to stand guard as the rest continues walking down a whole in the ground caused by the damage of a falling whale. Arthur then comes across a rather peculiar man, whose name is Slartibartfast. Slartibartfast takes Arthur for a travel whilst he explains that the Earth is actually a supercomputer commissioned and paid for by mice. The mice had earlier built a supercomputer named Deep Thought in order to find the answer to life, the Universe and everything. After seven and a half million years it gives the answer “42”. After being unsatisfied by the answer, they seek to find the Ultimate Question. Deep Thought then design the supercomputer Earth.

Unfortunately five minutes before the completion of the program, the Earth is destroyed (Vogons with the bypass).

Understandably, the mice are unsatisfied with the result. They realize that Arthur, being the last-generation organic byproduct of the computer’s matrix, must have the Ultimate Question imprinted in his brain. They offer to buy Arthur’s brain, but Arthur is understandably reluctant. They luckily manage to escape, and decides to go for lunch at “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe”.

The character and protagonist in the story is Arthur Dent. He’s rather the anti-hero of the story, reason given that he doesn’t have the normal quality of what a hero has. Example given that he’s not characterized as someone with great courage, strength, moderate and righteous judgement.

Arthur rather enjoys tea, and is disappointed with the fact that after the Earth blew up, he won’t gain access to anymore of it. In other words: Arthur is a simple man with simple needs. He doesn’t care much of the greater things in life and enjoys the simpler life. In the beginning it’s told that he moved out of London due to it making him nervous and irritable, which sends the message of a man who’s not really an adventurer looking for excitement.

It’s then intentionally done by Mr. Adams to use a simple man like this as a protagonist, in order to create humorous moments with conflicts and wondering (from Arthur’s side that is), since Arthur reactions to what happens in the story would not have been the same as with an ordinary “hero.”

It must be quite astounding for a man like Arthur to find out all about the Universe, as he does.

It’s understandably quite mind-boggling, as it would be for anyone who experienced what he did, but one can clearly see that Arthur has difficulties understanding and accepting his new surroundings. This destiny clearly doesn’t appeal to him. This is shown in the several small outrages Dent has during the book over the frustration of how unexpected his life turned out to be and how strange this new world he’s been introduced to him, is.

During the whole novel he wears nothing but his dressing gown, which can be interpreted as a symbol of his simple way of living and the contrast between that and the fact that he needs to come to terms with what he finds out about “everything.”

The novel is a prime example of classic British humour and its absurdity. There is humour to be found throughout the book, which is quite brilliant.

It’s hard to find just one or two scenes with sheer absurdity and choose them as favourites, as the whole book is quite absurd. It’s the brilliant elements Mr. Adams use in his book, such as the fantastic way the narrator tells the story and the facts from the actual book in the story; “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. Not to forget the bizarre elements as a space ship driven by an infinite Improbability Drive or the fact that a super intelligent computer, after seven and a half million years finds out that the answer of everything is nothing more unique than the number “42”!

The most fantastic scene, from my point of view, must be the incident with the bowl of petunias and a very surprised-looking whale;

After Arthur turns on the Improbability Drive, despite of the warning from the rest of the crew, in a last attempt of avoid the two missiles that are headed straight at them, the two missiles turns in to a bowl of petunias and a very surprised-looking whale. You are then presented to a complete record of its thought from the moment it began its life till the moment it ended:

 

“ Ah...! What’s happening? It thought.

Er, excuse me, who am I?

Hello?

Why am I here? What’s my purpose in life?

What do I mean by who am I?

Calm down, get a grip now...Oh! This is an interesting sensation, what is it? It’s a sort of...yawning, tingling sensation in my...my...well, I suppose I’d better start finding names for things if I want to make any headway in what for the sake of what I shall call an argument I shall call the world, so let’s call it my stomach.

Good. Ooooh, it’s getting quite strong. And hey, what about this whistling roaring sound going past what I’m suddenly going to call my head? Perhaps I can call that...wind! Is that a good name? It’ll do...perhaps I can find a better name for it later when I’ve out what it’s for. It must be something very important because there certainly seems to be a hell of a lot of it. Hey! What’s this thing? This...let’s call it a tail – yeah, tail. Hey! I can really thrash it about pretty good, can’t I? Wow! Wow! That feels great! Doesn’t seem to achieve very much but I’ll probably find out what it’s for later on. Now – have I built up any coherent picture of things yet?

No.

Never mind, hey, this is really exciting, so much to find out about, so much to look forward to, I’m quite dizzy with anticipation...

Or is it the wind?

There really is a lot of that now, isn’t there?

And now! Hey! What’s this thing suddenly coming towards me very fast? Very very fast. So big and flat and round, it needs a big wide sounding name like...ow...ound...round...ground! That’s it! That’s a good name – ground! I wonder if it will be friends with me?

And the rest, after a sudden wet thud, was silence.”

 

The idea of a falling whale having a dialogue with itself like represented above, after moments before being a missile, is really extraordinary, and is what makes the book brilliant.

Intentionally, I think Mr. Adams didn’t have a theme for the book. If one would search for a theme, there would be fractions of several themes in the book, but not one single which represents the whole book. However, the book can be interpreted to represent a theme about the search for the meaning of life, although I would disagree with the fact that it’s a theme.

There is no answer to what the meaning of life is.

Mr. Adams have used this book to answer that question, or should I say not answered it?

The ideology of the book is the fact that it’s incomprehensible to answer such a strange question. I interpreted the underlying text as life is what you make out of it. There is no answer to your life, only that you live it to your fullest.

A prime (and funny) example of this is the super computer Deep Thoughts. After seven and a half million years, it comes with the answer “42.” Now how could that make any sense at all?

- What is the meaning of life, the Universe and Everything?

- 42.

As you can see, this is Mr. Adams exceptionally humoristic way of telling you that life is and will always be a strange mystery. It’s better to live a life with enjoyment rather than trying to find out why you’re living.

There is however, not just the meaning of life, but also the meaning of the Universe and Everything.

And as previously mentioned, such incomprehensible questions are so vast, that it’s plain silliness to try to comprehend it.

In conclusion I would like to say that this book has been a sheer pleasure to read. I laughed my way to the finishing pages, and will most definitely read the other books from the series. Mr. Adams’ humour appeal too me, as I’ve always liked the British humour. The book is not to be taken serious in any way, and is purely a piece of entertaining science-fiction. I found the characters to be very interesting, especially Zaphod Beeblebrox, who’s quite unique. He’s a character who’s impossible to really understand, and his every sentence is surprising and unique, as he quite often does not make any sense. As a result it causes a lot of funny dialogues where the others have problems comprehend his “mystique.”

Endret 10. februar 2009 av Hawtz

[Hawtz]

En syndig liten bump.