Question

in the radio play \the hitch - hiker\ by lucille fletcher, how does the repeated appearance of the hitchhiker affect ronald adams and help create suspense? use at least two details from the play to support your answer.

in \the hitch - hiker\ by lucille fletcher, what do you think the hitchhiker symbolizes (stands for)? explain your thinking and use at least two details from the play to support your answer.

Explanation:

For Question 1:

1. Effect on Ronald Adams: The hitchhiker's repeated, unexplained appearances erode Ronald's sanity and sense of reality. First, when he sees the hitchhiker multiple times across long stretches of highway (even after passing him and driving far ahead), he becomes paranoid, checking his mirrors constantly and speeding to escape. Later, when he picks up a female passenger who cannot see the hitchhiker, he is convinced he is losing his mind, growing frantic and desperate for validation.
2. Suspense Creation: The consistent, unexplainable nature of the hitchhiker's appearances builds tension. First, the fact that he appears in impossible locations (like ahead of Ronald's car even after Ronald passed him hours prior) creates an unsettling, supernatural mystery that leaves the audience wondering how this is possible. Second, Ronald's escalating panic and the slow unraveling of his mental state make the audience fear for his safety and anticipate a terrifying revelation about the hitchhiker's true nature.

For Question 2:

The hitchhiker symbolizes impending death and the inescapability of fate.

1. First, Ronald learns in a phone call with his mother that he died in a car accident on the Brooklyn Bridge at the start of his trip—meaning the hitchhiker has been appearing to his ghost, a sign that his death has already caught up to him, and he cannot outrun it.
2. Second, the hitchhiker's repetitive, unyielding pursuit mirrors the inevitability of death: no matter how fast Ronald drives, how many roads he takes, or how hard he tries to escape, the figure follows, representing that fate cannot be avoided.

Answer:

1. The repeated appearance of the hitchhiker destroys Ronald Adams' mental stability and builds suspense through supernatural mystery:

• As the hitchhiker appears again and again across hundreds of miles (even after Ronald passes him and drives ahead), Ronald grows increasingly paranoid, checking his mirrors obsessively and speeding in a futile attempt to escape, showing his unraveling sanity.
• When Ronald picks up a female passenger who cannot see the hitchhiker, he is convinced he is going mad, and the audience is left in suspense, wondering if the hitchhiker is real, a hallucination, or something supernatural.
• The impossibility of the hitchhiker keeping up with Ronald's car creates an unsettling mystery that builds tension, as the audience waits to learn the truth behind the figure's appearances.

1. The hitchhiker symbolizes impending, unavoidable death (fate):

• Ronald discovers in a phone call with his mother that he died in a car crash on the Brooklyn Bridge at the very start of his trip; the hitchhiker has been appearing to his wandering ghost, a sign that his death is already finalized and he cannot outrun it.
• No matter how fast Ronald drives, how many different roads he takes, or how he tries to evade the figure, the hitchhiker always reappears, mirroring the inescapable nature of death and fate.