41 pages • 1 hour read
Lucille FletcherThe Hitchhiker
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1941A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
What part does the setting play in “The Hitchhiker”? What is the significance of the fact that Adams is almost always moving? What feeling does this create for the listener?
What aspects of 1940s American culture are captured by Fletcher’s writing? How many of these have changed since the play’s premiere?
Is “The Hitchhiker” a ghost story? What elements of a traditional ghost story are present in the play? How does it differ from traditional narratives?
How is the time and setting of “The Hitchhiker” integral to its premise? Would a similar story be as effective if rewritten today?
Do you believe Adams’s assertions that he is perfectly sane? Why or why not?
Pick three incidents of foreshadowing to discuss in detail. How do they heighten the impact of the story?
What purpose do Adams’s detailed descriptions of various American landscapes and landmarks serve? How might the setting details have changed the experience for a listening audience?
How do the stage directions (sound effects, music, etc.) enhance the story?
Discuss Fletcher’s use of irony. How does the twist affect the entire play? Why does Fletcher obscure this twist until the final page?
Examine and analyze Adams’s last lines of dialogue on Page 101. What is happening to his identity? How do the play’s final lines enhance our understanding of its opening scene?
