HG2G Questions
CHAPTER 5
“...bits of me keep passing out.”
1. Who are the Dentrassis, and what is their relationship to
the Vogons?
The Dentrassis are the cooks on Vogon ships. They like
Vogon money but dislike the Vogons, so they help hitchhikers
board secretly just to annoy the Vogons.
2. What is the worst thing a Vogon can do to someone?
The worst thing a Vogon can do is read their poetry to
someone. Vogon poetry is so bad it’s almost like torture.
3. What is a Babel fish?
A Babel fish is a small, yellow fish that, when put in your ear,
lets you understand any language by "translating" what
others say.
CHAPTER 6
“There is no longer any such thing as a Mcdonald’s hamburger.”
4. Why is Prostenic Vogon Jeltz so grumpy?
Jeltz is grumpy because he doesn’t enjoy anything, especially
his job. He’s also very strict and uncaring, like most Vogons.
5. Discuss Arthur’s trouble internalizing the events so far.
How is his response ironic?
Arthur struggles to understand that Earth is gone. He thinks
about little things, like hamburgers, but it still doesn’t feel
real. It’s ironic because he’s seeing amazing things in space
but still focuses on everyday things from home.
6. What does the guide say about Earth (before and after
Ford’s change)?
At first, the Guide describes Earth as just “Harmless.” Ford
updates it to “Mostly harmless,” which upsets Arthur since it
shows how unimportant Earth seems in the galaxy.
CHAPTER 7
“Resistance is useless!”
7. Who writes the 1st, 2nd , & 3rd worst poetry in the
universe?
The third-worst poetry is by the Vogons. The second-worst is
by the Azagoths of Kria. The worst poetry was written by
Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings, who died with Earth.
8. How does Arthur attempt to appeal to Prostetnic Vogon
Jeltz?
Arthur pretends to like the Vogon’s poetry, saying it has great
imagery and rhythm. He tries to flatter the Vogon so they
won’t be punished.
9. Explain the conversation between Ford, Arthur, & the
Vogon guard. Why is this funny?
In this scene, Ford Prefect talks to a Vogon guard about
whether he enjoys his job of shouting and throwing people
out of spaceships. The guard admits that most of his job is
boring, but he likes the shouting part. This conversation is
funny because it mixes a serious situation with silly questions
about job happiness. Ford tries to connect with the guard,
making the whole scene seem absurd and highlighting how
ridiculous life can be in space.
CHAPTER 8
“Space...is big. Really big.”
10. What happens to Arthur & Ford? What is the “staggering
coincidence”?
Arthur and Ford are tossed out of a spaceship by a Vogon
guard but are saved just moments later. The “staggering
coincidence” is that the chances of being picked up in space
are incredibly low—two to the power of two hundred and
sixty-seven thousand seven hundred and nine to one.
Ironically, this number is the same as the phone number of a
flat in Islington where Arthur once went to a party and didn’t
connect with a girl, even though both the Earth and the flat
are now gone.
