Abstract

I have decided to do a close reading of Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban as compared to the critical texts of de Sassure, Lefebvre, White, Deleuze and Guattari.

Riddley Walker is written in the language that is a predominantly monosyllabic, phonetic version of English that is best read aloud. I want to discuss not only Riddley Walker’s own dialect, but also the language as symbolic and historic. In the event of an apocalypse, it is language that must survive; Riddley Walker keeps the language alive by being literate, and a keeper of “riddles” or questions. In his travels and discoveries, Riddley Walker, with his literacy (even if it is a faulty one), has made sure that the advancement of the post-apocalyptic society will occur even if it is only a small step. This is what Riddley Walker is meant to show the reader. The novel uses short stories, children’s rhymes, and quasi-religious allegories scattered throughoutas a way to show how Riddley Walker is a keeper of words and history through the living language. I want to focus on the idea that “nothing is distinct before the appearance of language,” so Riddley Walker is there to make the distinction.