I realized too late that while I knew that I was using a different version of the book, I did not realize my page numbers would be so very different. So, if any of my quotes for today's post are from Monday's reading, I apologize. If I'm correct, we should have finished the novel today on page 170-something for you guys. My book goes to page 216, so you can see how I'm unsure of what to post. Anywho, here we go...
When Ford and Arthur are on the Vogon ship, about to be spewed into space, Arthur asks Ford if there's anything else that could save them, Ford fakes seeing some "switch" but quickly says, "'No, I was only fooling,'" and then, "'we are going to die after all" (75). Ford's morbid sense of humor is crazy at a time of intense peril. If this novel had a different tone, that could have been a moment of extreme suspense. But, due to Adams' absurd tone and method, the audience can't help but not take the situation seriously. It is even funnier given his friend's panic and confusion. A good friend would try to comfort him at this moment, but Ford does just the opposite. A fake out.
Another example of some morbid humor (apparently I'm in a morbid mood tonight) is, well, anything with Marvin. More specifically, however, at almost the very end of the novel. He tells Ford about how he got bored, plugged himself into the spaceship computer (which is incessantly cheerful at all times) and explained his view of the universe to it. "'What happened?' pressed Ford," and he was answered with, "'It committed suicide'" (214). Despite how awful the movie version of the book is, I cannot read the novel anymore without hearing Alan Rickman's voice as Marvin. Despite the downfalls of the movie, his contribution was genius. Also, the thought of the astoundingly happy computer committing suicide because of Marvin's intense depression is a little hilarious.
Finally, one of my favorite parts of the novel is the spontaneous generation of a sperm whale and his thought process before his unfortunate demise (I really am morbid tonight, aren't I?). His first words go something like this:
"Er, excuse me, who am I?
Hello?
Why am I here? What's my purpose in life?
What do I mean by who am I?" (134)
I love that the whale goes straight to metaphysical questions, pondering his existence and the meaning of life. It's really interesting that he can leap into existence, ask metaphysical questions and then hope that the ground will be his friend mere moments before his demise. He's at once naive and innocent and also a deep thinker. The petunias, however, which leapt into existence along with the whale, thought only, "oh no, not again" (135). The comparison of these two spontaneous beings further implies the comedy as the whale is evidently a new being, just trying to figure life out while the petunias have inexplicably been here before.
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