Riddley Walker

“You stil dont know where you begun.”

As a narrator, Riddley may not know about the technical aspects of storytelling, but he has a natural sense of how stories function. He begins his own narration long after the collapse of society and just before his father dies. Riddley may not know where he “begun,” but he recognizes that these events shaped his life in untold ways. The death of his father and the death of the old world are equally impactful events. One is felt on a personal level, and one is felt on a global level.

“Nor there aint never ben no strait story I ever heard.”

Lorna is an honest and wise woman. She tells Riddley the story of the dog and the humans but admits that the majority of the tale is allegorical. Due to the lack of writing, the story changes and evolves over time, losing key details while retaining the core meaning. To her, there is only one story which is wholly true because it has been written down. Riddley is also in the process of writing his story down, thus lending it credibility in Lorna’s eyes. Her comments on writing make Riddley’s story more important because, simply by being written down, it becomes a “strait story” unlike almost every other story she knows.

“All that old and woar out what ben follering on behynt its gone now.”

Lorna teaches the people how to read the meaning in recent events. The stillborn baby, the death of Brooder Walker, and the dead dog are not examples of a looming threat, she believes. In her opinion, the signs tell people to look to the future, not the past. The old dog followed Riddley and was killed. Brooder was killed during the excavation of the ancient machine. The baby died in Widders Dump, where people dig for treasures of the past. Lorna preaches that the community should cast aside the old and worn-out traces of the past which still haunt them, and look toward a brighter, better future.

“Jus 1 mor thing to make us feal stupid.”

The remnants of the old society are not just strange and broken. They are also reminders for Riddley and his contemporaries of how little they know. Riddley’s world is primitive and almost entirely absent of technology. However, they uncover incredibly complex machines made by older humans which they have no hope of replicating. Each machine they uncover is not just an intellectual curiosity, but also a constant reminder of the failures of humanity and the current lack of intellectual capability. Every machine is just one more thing to make Riddley and his friends feel “stupid” and inadequate.

“Wut is the idear uv me?”

Eusa’s story is about self-realization. After inventing the nuclear bomb and destroying the world, Eusa wanders through the burnt landscape. He loses his wife and his children and struggles to stay alive. The Littl Shynin Man reveals that the only escape is for Eusa to understand the idea of himself. The abstract, opaque nature of this demand is reflective of Riddley’s society’s view of the ancient technology. Trying to achieve an understanding of oneself is similar to trying to understand nuclear physics in a post-apocalyptic age. Even an intelligent, flawed man like Eusa struggles to understand the idea of himself, so Eusa’s story teaches the audience to seek out self-realization even though it may be difficult. Doing so may be the only cure for their pain.

“Its what my dad done and Iwl do it and all.”

Many positions in the society are inherited from parents. Riddley becomes a connexion man, just like his father, while other positions in the villages and the Ram are inherited from parents. The inheritance of social positions is an extension of the theme of people being caught in cycles. The characters are born into a cycle and doomed to repeat it, reenacting the lives of their parents because they are unable to envision an alternative.

“That storys got to stay the same what ever it is and nothing changit.”

During the Eusa show, Orfing plays the role of the serious man. He bluntly states the reality of the world while others make jokes or provide interpretations. In this instance, he is adamant that the story has “got to stay the same” and that nothing will ever change. Orfing is using his role to reinforce social norms and to teach the audience that they must continue to operate in the same way they have always done. Just like the Eusa story, life itself is a repeated cycle of struggle and pain, one which people are trapped in from their birth.

“EUSAS HEAD IS DREAMING US.”

The society of Riddley Walker is based on the myth of Eusa. Riddley’s failed interpretation of the puppet show suggests that Eusa’s head is dreaming everyone. In a metaphorical sense, this is true. The society that believes in Eusa is a reflection of Eusa, so the principles and actions of Eusa become the esteemed principles and actions of the society. Everyone lives in a world shaped by Eusa, one which is constantly updated and refined through the Eusa shows. As a result, Riddley is correct to suggest that Eusa’s influence controls everyone, even though his connexion is not understood on the symbolic level.

“All the peopl I wer frendy with they rathert be a moving crowd and foraging ful time nor stop in 1 place jobbing on a form.”

In Riddley’s post-apocalyptic world, people are largely divided into two social groups: farmers and foragers. The farmers are settled in walled villages which are more defensible and approved by the government, while the foragers prefer a nomadic lifestyle which exposes them to violence from raiding parties. In the years before the novel, Riddley’s community has made the switch from foraging to farming and residual tensions linger among the people who are not happy with the switch. Riddley realizes that the majority of his friends would rather return to a foraging, nomadic lifestyle than remain on the farms. Riddley begins to understand that other worlds and other lifestyles are possible, even if they are not approved of by the government.

“When I come to know them better I seen they dint do nothing randem they had tack ticks.”

The Bernt Arse pack are more than just a group of wild dogs. The more time Riddley spends with them, the more he begins to understand their complex social order. They have a leader, they operate using tactics, and they have established goals which they work towards. Riddley’s revelation about the dog pack teaches him how little he understands about society. While he used to judge others from afar, he learns that he must integrate himself into a community to truly understand it. Riddley becomes a more empathetic, more understanding person as the novel progresses.

“Lissener and me we et a littl just to show meat brothers only we dint fancy it raw nor dursnt make a fire.”

The stray dogs bring food for the humans to eat. While Riddley does not want to eat the raw meat, he understands that the dogs’ actions are part of a social gesture. He and Lissener eat some of the meat as a way to acknowledge the dogs’ willingness to help. These small social rituals reflect Riddley’s increasing understanding of the world. Just like he sat down with Goodparley and Orfing before the Eusa play, he eats the raw meat to show that he respects others and the help that they provide him.

“That storys jus what ever it is and thats what storys are.”

Lissener distinguishes himself from Riddley by taking an opposing stance on the importance of storytelling. Riddley is a connexion man, a person whose job is to interpret stories. Lissener believes that a story is only “what ever it is,” implying that he does not believe competing interpretations can exist. Lissener believes in a single narrative which defies interpretation, while Riddley is the embodiment of the importance of competing interpretations. Though the two characters are allies at this stage of the story, their fundamentally different beliefs show how they will eventually become enemies.

“The black leader wer looking the same way I wer.”

The black leader develops a personality through the group, becoming far more than just a large, aggressive dog. As Riddley spends more time with the dog, he projects more of his own emotional state on to the animal. In this section, Riddley looks at the dog and believes that they are feeling the same degree of trepidation as they enter an unfamiliar environment. As Riddley’s personality becomes more complicated and nuanced, he recognizes this development in others. He is able to appreciate the intelligence of the black leader because he is coming to terms with his own emotional maturity, allowing him to recognize this in others.

“You can feal how there ben Power there.”

The Power Ring in Cambry is a reference to the electrical power grid and the power station which existed in the area before the war. The references to “Power” work as a pun: Riddley feels a sense of power and importance when entering the deserted town, even though he does not know how the electricity system works. The structures no longer provide electrical power, but they now provide symbolic power and a reminder of the technological advancement that humans once enjoyed. The Power Ring is a reminder of how powerful humans once were and an indicator of how much they have lost since the apocalyptic war.

“What ben makes tracks for what wil be.”

The society depicted in Riddley Walker is one that is incredibly aware of its past. The characters live among the ruins of a more advanced society that they will never truly understand. Goodparley acknowledges the interplay between past and present by reminding Riddley that whatever has happened will dictate the course of whatever will happen. This sentiment applies to actions in the immediate future and events which took place thousands of years before. Every action, every event, and every decision is influenced by the past.

“Riddley we aint as good as them befor us.”

Goodparley equates technological innovation with morality. He tells Riddley that the current society is not “as good” as the society which predates them. The use of the word “good” is deliberately vague. The double meaning of the word acknowledges the lack of scientific knowledge held in the present day, but also admits that people now live in a harsher, more morally complicated world. However, for all of Goodparley’s insistence that the past was a better, more advanced age, he examines history from a biased perspective. For all their advancements and their supposed morality, the people of the past did destroy the world. By equating morality and technology, Goodparley ignores the fact that advanced technology allowed the people of the past to commit crimes far beyond the scope of anyone in the current world. Technology did not improve people’s morality; instead, it allowed them to indulge their immorality to an even greater degree.

“The worl is ful of things waiting to happen.”

Riddley’s experiences throughout the novel give him a more optimistic worldview. He begins to see the potential of the current world, rather than focusing on trying to recreate the past. While walking to Cambry, he recognizes his own agency and his own capacity to enact change in the world. Even though he is only a 12-year-old runaway, he has altered the history of the area. To Riddley, the world is filled with things waiting to happen. His influential actions are proof of this innate ability and he begins to extrapolate the sentiment to everything around him, forming an optimistic and hopeful view of the world in which everyone has the power to achieve something.

“Women have some thing else.”

Riddley is a young man in a largely patriarchal society. Almost every position of influence or authority is held by a man. The sharp division between male and female life in the novel is shown by Riddley’s lack of understanding of women. He feels sexual urges and he has had sex, but he often struggles to view women as anything other than vehicles for his sexual desires. He knows nothing about women’s cultures, traditions, or roles in the society. His lack of knowledge reveals the extent to which men and women are separated. There are almost two distinct worlds in the novel, each inhabited by a different gender. To Riddley, everything about life as a woman is “some thing else.”

“The woal lot of them wer that littl bit afeart they sust theyd put some kynd of Power in him when they blyndit him.”

The Eusa folk blind Goodparley with an axe. In doing so, they worry that they have made him more powerful. The majority of people in the novel regard disfigurations as evil and ominous. Anyone with a birth defect, an injury, or a deformation is treated with contempt. However, the Eusa folk are defined by their various disfigurements. They draw power from their lack of eyes, their hunchbacks, and the other ways in which they differ from most people. They recognize that, by blinding Goodparley, they have infused him with the same power that defines them. Goodparley is now on the same social standing as the Eusa folk. He may have lost his sight, but his attackers have given him an entirely new perspective, one he will use to try and fight back against them.

“I wont think no mor.”

The events of the novel take place over a short span of time. During this short period, Riddley experiences death and loss many times. He loses his father, his community, and Goodparley. After Goodparley’s death, he finally has a moment to reflect on the grief and pain he has experienced. He cannot explain why death seems to follow him, but he worries that his thinking has caused all of the issues. The people in the society often associate thinking and cleverness with pain. The world was destroyed by intellectuals who invented powerfully destructive bombs. Like the scientists, Riddley is worried that his radical way of thinking outside of the accepted parameters is causing the destruction of his own world. His solution is to stop thinking.

“Be you making me Goodparley now?”

When Riddley teams up with Orfing, they try to reclaim some sense of normality by settling into familiar roles. They have assigned tasks for their planned puppet show, but these roles come with existing titles. Riddley notices that Orfing has assigned him the Goodparley role. Riddley accepts, but tacitly acknowledges that this role comes with many expectations. By accepting the title of Goodparley, Riddley is assuming a level of responsibility. He will write and act out the powerful stories, as well as function as the leader in his friendship with Orfing. Names and titles are not unique. They represent the repeated cycles which trap the characters and force them into predefined roles in the society. By becoming Goodparley, Riddley is becoming a leader, a storyteller, and an influential figure.

“Theres a black man and other figgers as wel Iwl never know ther story.”

The racially homogenous society of Riddley Walker illustrates the extent to which Inland is far removed from the 20th century. The England of the 20th century was culturally diverse and racially heterogenous. The war destroyed this society and left behind a world in which Black and other people of color are little more than inexplicable puppets in an ancient bag. Riddley’s lack of a racial identity is expressed through his interaction with the puppet of the “black man.” He does not understand the idea of a different race, nor does he harbor any hope that he will ever be able to do so. Race is so far removed from Riddley’s conception of the world that he treats the concept of a person of color with bemused confusion.

“Wel if you think you can leave Eusa out of any thing you aint going careful youre going foolish.”

Eusa is a fundamental part of the society, but Riddley’s new puppet show hopes to challenge this. Every puppet show was once an Eusa show, but Riddley wants to present the world with an alternative. He makes no claims about the historical accuracy of his Punch show, nor does he try to frame it as a religion. The aggressive reception of anything which excludes Eusa, however, reveals the extent to which puppet shows have become a major force of religious expression. A puppet show, to the people, is inherently a religious event. Any attempt to remove Eusa from this framework is akin to blasphemy. Riddley’s new show might seem innocent enough, but it is also an attack on the fundamental beliefs of the society itself.