Throughout the novel, authority figures play an important, if satirical, role. How does the novel present authority figures overall? Why are the novel’s central authority figures (especially Zaphod Beeblebrox) so powerless?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may draw analogies to authority structures with which they are familiar. As they begin to develop ideas for this Discussion/Analysis Prompt, consider asking them the following question: “To what extent is Adams’s portrayal of authority a true reflection of the real world?” This could be followed by a brief discussion of the purpose of comedy within the novel before diving into deeper analysis of the theme of The Emptiness of Authority.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“What The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Can Teach Us Today”

In this activity, students will use audiovisual learning and critical thinking to compare and contrast Adams’s novel with Garth Jennings’s 2005 film adaptation.

Since its publication in 1979, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has had a rich afterlife, sparking further books as well as film and television adaptations. The 2005 film The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, directed by Garth Jennings, is one popular adaptation of the book.