Wye becomes how : the politics of narration and the political narrative in Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker
Date
1990
Authors
McAslan, Simon
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Abstract
Russell Hoban's post-nuclear dystopia, Riddley Walker (1980), has not received a major critical study, despite numerous academic articles. This thesis attempts to fill this gap. The focus of this study is the political nature of narrative discourse in Riddley Walker. "Political," in this thesis, means any human action which affects, directly or indirectly, the power structure of a particular culture.
Myth, history, narrative discourse, and politics are recurring thematic concerns in the novel. Myth, in Riddley Walker, seems to function as both an historical record and a symbolic representation. Myth draws on history but is not history; myth discusses not only past events but also current ones. The way in which a particular myth is created and interpreted depends on the political bias of the teller. Each story in the novel has political implications. Riddley, as narrator, makes choices about which stories and events to include; he also decides to write his discourse in a predominantly oral society.
This thesis examines "Hart of the Wood," "Why the Dog Wont Show Its Eyes," and "The Eusa Story" (including its apocryphal endings, told by Lissener and Goodparley). In addition, the thesis analyzes the Punch and Judy show and the legend of St Eustace as influences on the Eusa show. The first three stories in Riddley Walker explain the origins of Riddley's culture. All three stories show that a disregard for nature leads to disaster; Riddley's culture is a product of that disaster. By telling these stories to the reader, Riddley is reinforcing his own theme of harmony with nature through a rejection of "Power" struggles.
"The Eusa Story" has apocryphal endings told by Lissener and Goodparley. The structure in both stories is similar, with the notable exception of Eusa's final destination: in Lissener's version, Eusa arrives at the Ram, whereas in Goodparley's he arrives at Cambry. Each teller implicitly blames the other for Eusa's death. In both cases the story is used as a political tool to sway the audience's opinion of the teller. The story with the greater circulation has the greater political power. This analysis suggests that narrative discourse can be appropriated and used for political ends.
The Punch and Judy show is similarly appropriated in Riddley Walker. The Eusa show is loosely based on the present day Punch and Judy show. Punch, the protagonist, violently rebels against all institutions and laws. Historically, Punch and Judy was a product of the working classes, but by now its subversive qualities have been lessened. In our own time, Punch and Judy has been relegated to children's theatre, where much of its subversion is lost. In the novel, Riddley rediscovers Punch and Judy and presents a show in place of the official Eusa show. Thus, Riddley revives the subversive element of Punch and Judy and makes the show political. The novel questions the stability of texts by implicitly discussing oral and written discourse as well as myth and history. Hence, the novel also questions the validity of our own world view, which is based primarily on texts.
This thesis is the first major study of Riddley Walker. Although it deals with some of the stories in the novel, certainly other areas of the novel are worthy of further study. Generally, this thesis uses the stories in Riddley Walker to suggest the political implications of history, myth, and narrative. The various narratives which one encounters may be examined for the ideological assumptions behind them. Some stories might seem innocent, but on closer inspection they might also carry cultural, political, and ideological biases.