▁opp ression , ▁working ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁emer ging ▁scientific ▁discipl ines ▁and ▁en light en ment . ▁The ▁title ▁' H ard ▁to ▁Be ▁a ▁God ' ▁refers ▁to ▁Anton ' s ▁( known ▁as ▁his ▁alias ▁Don ▁Rum ata ▁throughout ▁the ▁book ) ▁per ception ▁of ▁his ▁prec ari ous ▁role ▁as ▁an ▁observer ▁on ▁the ▁planet , ▁for ▁while ▁he ▁has ▁far ▁more ▁advanced ▁knowledge ▁than ▁the ▁people ▁around ▁him , ▁he ▁is ▁forb idden ▁to ▁assist ▁too ▁act ively ▁as ▁his ▁assistance ▁would ▁inter f ere ▁with ▁the ▁natural ▁progress ▁of ▁history . ▁The ▁book ▁pays ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁internal ▁world ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁character , ▁showing ▁his ▁own ▁evolution ▁from ▁an ▁em otion ally ▁un in vol ved ▁' ob server ' ▁to ▁the ▁person ▁who ▁reject s ▁the ▁blind ▁belief ▁in ▁theory ▁when ▁confront ed ▁with ▁the ▁cruel ty ▁of ▁real ▁events . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁The ▁pro log ue ▁shows ▁a ▁scene ▁from ▁Anton ' s ▁child hood , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁goes ▁on ▁an ▁advent ure ▁with ▁his ▁friends ▁P ash ka ▁( Paul ) ▁and ▁An ka ▁( An na ) ▁and ▁plays ▁a ▁game ▁based ▁on ▁mel od ram atic ▁recre ations ▁of ▁events ▁on ▁the ▁un named ▁medieval ▁planet . ▁The ▁children ▁live ▁in ▁a ▁fut ur istic ▁u top ia , ▁and ▁the ▁te en agers ▁feel ▁drawn ▁to ▁advent ure . ▁While ▁the ▁children ▁play ▁they ▁find ▁an ▁abandoned ▁road ▁with ▁a ▁road ▁sign ▁reading ▁"