Plot Summary: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Beginning of the End
The story kicks off on a Thursday morning when Arthur Dent discovers his house is about to be demolished to make way for a bypass. Little does he know, Earth itself is about to face a similar fate.
"The plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months." "On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them." "That's the display department."Note
This initial scene brilliantly parallels the larger cosmic joke about to unfold, where Earth's destruction notice was similarly "on display" in Alpha Centauri.
Escape from Earth
Arthur's friend Ford Prefect, revealed to be an alien researcher for "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," saves him moments before Earth's destruction by the Vogons. They escape by hitching a ride on one of the Vogon constructor ships.
"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so."
The Heart of Gold and Its Crew
After surviving a bout of Vogon poetry (considered the third worst in the universe), Arthur and Ford are rescued by the starship Heart of Gold, powered by the revolutionary Infinite Improbability Drive. Here they meet:
- Zaphod Beeblebrox: The two-headed, three-armed President of the Galaxy who stole the ship
- Trillian: A human woman Arthur once met at a party
- Marvin: A chronically depressed robot with "a brain the size of a planet"
Pay attention to how each character represents different aspects of human nature and societal roles, particularly Marvin's existential depression despite his superior intelligence.
