The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

This extract is from the book “The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” written by  modern writer Adam Douglas. It is a preface to the whole story. It says that there is a little blue planet in the Galaxy, which orbits a small sun. This planet is inhabited by primitive creatures called people. People were very unhappy and tried to solve their problems in many ways. But nothing helped as they chose the wrong direction. So they kept on being greedy and didn’t want to change anything in their attitude towards others. What is more, they hated it when someone pointed out their flaws. For example, Jesus Christ was executed for it. Nevertheless, one day some girl got to realize how to change the world. But her plans were ruined because the catastrophe occured.

In this extract the author scoffs at consumer society. People were unhappy because their thoughts were concentrated only on obtaining more money. They were sure that money could buy them everything even true friendship, love, respect and what not. Nevertheless, they felt that something was wrong. People were blind but didn’t want anyone to show them the truth.

Obtaining money shouldn’t be a priority, it leads to degradation and decay of people’s souls, it kills personality. And one’s personality doesn’t have to be in stagnation, it should constantly develop. It’s of a great necessity to be open-minded and ready for changes. Moral values have to occupy a more important place in people’s lives than wealth. People should be helpful, tolerant, generous towards others: it will make them happier.

It is a 3d-person narration, a kind of summary itself, which gives an ironical, critical portrayal of society. The prevailing mood of the extract is sarcastic. The author’s critical attitude towards the sun, the earth and its inhabitants is apparent: one comes across so many epithets with negative connotation, such as uncharted backwaters, unfashionable end, small unregarded sun, utterly insignificant little planet, amazingly primitive life forms. He has created a metaphor, a symbol for consumerism – digital watches. Irony can be found almost in every sentence: the author describes people as wholly insignificant, stupid creatures. The beginning of the extract resembles a bit the beginning of a tale because of the inversion, which is used in the first two sentences.

So this extract gives us some food for thought, as it portrays an modern society. I’m sure that many people recognize their own flaws while reading it. That’s why it’s high time we changed something in our lives. Certainly, Adam Douglas is far from being the first person who tackles this issues but people still seem to be unwilling to open their eyes and face the truth.

What is more important: friendship or duty?

First, I would like to comment on the story itself. As we can see, both men were at the appointed place on time. That means that no matter how many years have passed, they were still eager to see each other. However, the ties of their friendship were not as strong as they used to be and apparently the men kept in mind the image of each other from the times when they were young.  But honestly speaking, it seems to me that Bob who describes his friend as “the finest chap in the world” is more sincere than Jimmy. I think that one of the possible options why Jimmy arrested Bob could have been envy, the thought that he himself was not as successful as his friend turned out to be; this is typical of person’s  character. Then again, we don’t know for sure but he might have probably got promoted for arresting a wanted person. This supposition has occured to me when I reread the story: Bob told Jimmy that it was the appointment with a friend of him made twenty years ago and Jimmy’s only reply was: “Until five years ago it [Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant] was turn down then”. And only then Bob struck the match to lit his cigar and Jimmy was able to see his face. I don’t think that people make such kind of appointments in that very place frequently. In this case Jimmy’s answer sounds rather indifferent even thought he must have guessed at once that the man was his friend.

Nevertheless, let it be a pure supposition, so what Jimmy did was a policeman’s duty. Than he is a very devoted policeman. As for me, I can’t imagine myself doing such a thing, arresting the best friend of mine. I mean that friendship is more important for me than duty. If I were Jimmy, I would have turned a blind eye on my friend’s dark past, I would have told him: “I  haven’t see you, you’ve got to escape as soon as possible...I’ll be missing you”. Friends are so close to us, very often they know much more about us than our parents do, they are a part of our soul. One have only to imagine him(her)self on their friend’s place...betrayed. What’s it like to be betrayed?? Well, it is one of the worst things ever. Not only you count on your friends in need – they do as well. My point of view may well be an example of Russian mentality. There is obviously a spirit of mutual help in our country, we find it difficult to leave someone in trouble. What is more, one researcher noted that in Russia moral values often prevail over the law.

Thus people don’t always realize that friendship is a great responsibility as well as one’s duty. So everyone has to make a personal decision about what is more important for them.

The book which has taught me a lot

         I can hardly imagine my life without reading. Apart from being a great source of pleasure and relaxation, books are undoubtedly our constant mentors. They provide you with a lot of practical advice and plenty of food for thought.
         From all of the books I have already read (which is still a drop in the ocean), I would like to single out the one under the title “Two Capitans” written by V. Kaverin. It has got quite a complicated plot; but roughly speaking the book tells us the story of a man (Alexander Grigoriev) who devoted his life to finding what had been left from the expedition headed by a polar explorer capitan Tatarinov. All the members of the expedition died because capitan Tatarinov’s cousin deliberately provided them with the worst equipment, dogs and food. Grigoriev’s life got tightly connected with Tatarinov’s family. He wanted to reveal the truth and that is why became a polar pilot. In the end, following the motto of his life “То strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”, Grigoriev successfully reached his goals having overcome all the diffuculties.
        I would say that this book touches upon eternal problems and topical issues. Among them are love and hatred, friendship and betrayal, purposefulness and many others. First I read this book many years ago at school when I was quite naive and trusting. It was then that I got acquainted with some unpleasant traits of person’s character and began to value positive ones more. So it was sort of the turning point in my outlook. Partly, this very book taught me to be persistent and not to give up. And when I reread it, it affirmed my views on various important subjects.
       Unfortunately, many modern books are written only to get more money and are aimed at entertaining people. You can hardly find any new ideas in them, something that hadn’t been said or noted before. But the overall picture is not that sad: undoubtedly, there are talented authors and their books tend to be even closer to the readers (than classical ones) as they describe modern reality.