The Hitchhiker's (Chapter 1 & 2)

Summary of chapter 1 and 2:


Chapter 1
In the first chapter, the main characters Arthur and Ford are introduced. At the beginning Arthur is characterized as more of a hectic person and tries to offend people fast with his irony and sarcasm. Arthur is mad at the government of his town, because they never mentioned anything about his house being torn down due to that a bypass is being built. However, Arthur does not want his house to be turn apart, and is trying to stop the bulldozers with all his force. On the other hand, Ford is a more relaxed person and takes things serious without showing it to others. In the first few pages, Ford has to talk Arthur on an important case, and finally convinces Arthur to go with him to a close by pub. In the pub Ford tells Arthur that the world is going to end and that he is actually not from the world but a small planet names Betelgeuse.
After Arthur and Ford drink up their beer, they see a flying saucer and an Alien speaks to the crowd, telling them that the world has ended. However, Arthur and Ford get saved and wake up in the flying saucer. Until the end of the chapter Arthur and Ford talk together about how their life has changed and how it is going to continue. The chapter ends, with Ford saying that the alien captain might kick them out of the saucer, meaning they would die. However, things could get worse if the captain first reads them some poetry and then kills them.

Chapter 2
Chapter two starts with Arthur and Ford trying to convince the Vogon (alien) that his poem was good and that they really liked it. However, nothing convinces the captain and the Vogon Guard takes them to the exit where they will be kicked out of the saucer. However, Arthur and Ford do not die, because a different alien saucer saves them and takes them aboard. In the new saucer, Ford and Arthur meat a boring robot named Marvin and also Zaphod and Trillian. They find out that Ford already knows Zaphod, from the time he saved him when Zaphod's planet blew up. Eventually, Arthur recognizes Zaphod too, from a party on earth. At this party Arthur met a girl and Zaphod decided to just take her away by saying " I'm from a different planet" (49). Suddenly the doors open and a woman walks in, Trillian, also known as Tricia McMillan. She is the girl that Arthur really liked and Zaphod took her away. Trillian also hitchhiked and Zaphod took her on his saucer.