The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction novel written by Douglas Adams in 1979, which was later adapted into a film in 2005. The novel and film share many of the same scenes, characters, and plot points. They are all presented in different ways. A comparison of a particular scene from both the novel and film can help illustrate the difference between story and narrative discourse. For example, a particular scene is the destruction of Earth which is a pivotal event in the story. In both the novel and film, the Earth is destroyed by the Vogons, an alien race, to make way for a hyperspace bypass. However, the way the scene is presented in the two versions is quite different.
To begin with, in the novel, the destruction of Earth is described almost as if it were an afterthought. The narrator simply states that the planet was destroyed, and then moves on to describe what happens to the surviving characters. This is an example of narrative discourse, which is the way a story is told. In this case, the narrator is using a detached, third-person voice to tell the story, which emphasizes the absurdity of the situation.
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The camera follows the planet as it is vaporized by the Vogon's hyperspace weapon, and we see the reactions of several characters as they realize what is happening. This is an example of story, which is the events that make up the plot. In this case, the filmmakers have chosen to focus on the destruction of Earth as a key moment in the story and have used visual effects and music to create an emotional