The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was written in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. What do you know about the United Kingdom during this historical period? What cultural, political, or economic trends do you associate with this time and place?

Teaching Suggestion: The United Kingdom in the 1970s was marked by rising cynicism. The previous decade, the “Swinging 60s,” was a period in which London saw a cultural renaissance and rise in political consciousness. However, mounting tensions between America and the Soviet Union during the Vietnam War contributed to an uncertain political and economic climate throughout the world. The period also saw rapid developments in technology as well as a rise in consumer capitalism and government bureaucracy. To strengthen students’ understanding of these developments, consider discussing or drawing their attention to mass communications and popular media of the time period.  

• In this lecture, Professor Sir Vernon Bogdanor discusses the characteristics of Post-War Britain (instructor facing, not student facing).
• This article discusses the role of satire in the British film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, released a few years before Adams published The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a work of science fiction as well as satire. What do you usually associate with satire? What are some examples of science fiction that you have encountered?

Teaching Suggestion: Science fiction is a genre of fiction that explores the potential of scientific principles, technologies, and discoveries. Though many famous science fiction writers lived in the 19th century or even earlier (e.g., Jules Verne, H. G. Wells), the genre quickly increased in popularity in the middle of the 20th century. This was the period when authors such as Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, and Phillip K. Dick were writing. Science fiction also became prominent in film and television at this time—Star Wars, for example, was released in 1977. Many science fiction works (like Kurt Vonnegut’s) incorporated elements of social commentary or satire.

• This article from MasterClass introduces the characteristics of science fiction, discusses eight related subgenres, and includes a list of 12 classic science fiction novels.
• “What is Satire?” defines three kinds of satire, discusses the difference between satire and parody, and provides an overview of the history of satire with videos and examples.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

What is the meaning of existence? Adams’s novel is centered on a very satirical search for the answer to this otherwise serious question. Why do you think this question is, or is not, important? Do you think it can be answered?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be helpful to steer students away from trying to come up with an answer for the meaning of existence. Consider encouraging them to focus on the character of the question itself: How have other individuals or groups attempted to answer this question?

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who would benefit from assistance with abstract thinking, you might set frames or context for answering this Personal Connection Prompt in a classroom discussion. For example, you might present students with several explanations for the meaning of existence that are commonly given (like those related to religion or ethics). You might also focus on concrete aspects of this question: What do we mean by terms such as “existence” or “meaning,” and how are these determined, internally or externally? Graphic organizers, such as a Venn diagram or T-chart, might also be useful for a more visual approach.