DISCOVERY

Curiosity and Discovery are essential parts of existence.

What role does curiosity play in exploration?

Do characters explore beacuse they are curious or for other reasons?

Do some characters get forced into exploring?

The discovery of different living things and lives outside the world in the universe is a big step for Arthur Dent. When his home and planet were destroyed, he left his comfort area and he started to explore the space, other planets and living beings, the advanced dimension of technology and even the universe, is a bit creepy and new for Arthur but also he learns new lessons on the exciting adventure.

POWER

In the universe, power is governed in two ways, apparently and in the background.

In the novel, although Zaphod Beeblebrox is the President of the Galaxy, he does not know why he is the president. We could think of him as the screen face of power. As President of the Galaxy, his responsibility in that position was to draw attention away from the real rulers of the universe. In fact, The President’s role here is curious. All we know is that power is something Zaphod doesn’t have. Adams were never told who really has the power in this government.

POWER AND POLITICS

Prosser:”But the plans were on display…
Arthur Dent: I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them.
P:That’s the display department.
A:With a flashlight.”
P:”Ah, well the lights had probably gone.
A:So had the stairs.
P:But look, you found the notice didn’t you?
-“Yes,” said Arthur, “yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.'” (Chapter 1, page 8-9)

There’s the absurd bureaucracy that would destroy a house or a planet without letting anyone know.
Here we can understand politics and the dark side of politics!

After reading this back-and-forth between Arthur and Prosser we think that politics is good and useful when people communicate with each other and listen to each other. Politics cannot be mentioned in an environment where people only talk but no one cares about events or people. In Hitchikers Guide to Galaxy, living in a political society is a form of concession and squalidity.

If we analyze the power theme from another angle we can say that mice and dolphins are smarter than people and as people think they are not intelligent. These two discourses change the perception of power.

Another fun fact in the book is,

The second smartest computer in the universe needs millions of years to find the answer to ‘a question’.

The concept of power varies according to all these perspectives and illusions.

Be prepared for the facts you think you know to be wrong and the mistakes to be true !

PERSPECTIVE

Each character’s spaces, events and ways of perceiving change.
We can try to understand different perspectives through the relationship of characters with each other and with spaces.

RELATION OF PLANETS – CHARACTERS – PERSPECTIVES IN THE NOVEL

Arthur’s house is a part of life for him. Therefore, he is upset because it will collapse. The person who will destroy the house sees Arthur’s house as an obstacle only to make a bypass.

• All characters have different ways of perceiving space.

“Mostly Harmless”

The Guide’s Description of Earth

According to Human:

According to Arthur and other people, the Planet Earth is the only thing they knew. However, Earth was destroyed by the Vogon fleet to build a galactic freeway. Destroying the Earth, life or history were not mean anything to them because they perceived the Earth as an obstacle for the freeway.

What does the Planet Earth mean to Ford Prefect?

Ford Prefect had been trapped in the Earth for 15 years and had tried to keep up with it as much as possible, but this world is still boring for him. and he wanted to escape from the world.

What were the idea of dolphins and mice for the Earth and Humans?

According to Dolphins:

On the Planet Earth, man had always assumed that the was more intelligent than Dolphins . However, the dolphins were aware that this idea was not true. They knew they were smarter than humans and unlike humans, they have realised that the Earth would destroy. Thus, they left the Earth shortly before the Vogons arrived.

According to Mice :

The fact that once again human completely misinterpreted this relationships was entirely according to mice’s plans. There was only one species on the planet more intelligent than dolphins: MICE. The mice used to make experimental observations in the Earth’s laboratories, making them think that the human species were the ones who did the experiment. In short, the Planet Earth is just the answer to ‘the question’ for mice.

The Planet Magrathea:

Also for Arthur who is from Earth, the Planet Magrathea is a strange world and a dump. However, for the aliens the Planet Magrathea is an ancient and the richest planet in the galaxy. On the other hand, for Zaphod Beeblebrox, The Planet Magrathea means curiosity, a new adventure, money and fame.