Riddley Walker Characters & Character Analysis

Riddley Walker Characters

Brooder Walker

Riddley's father; killed early in the novel during a 'forage rota,' leaving his son to carry on as Connexions Man. Unlike those of his son, Brooder's connexions were extempore, short and simple, but not without an inner coil of complexity.

Riddley Walker

An unusually perceptive 12-year-old boy who must act the part of a man. Examining Riddley in terms of his name alone is highly revelatory. His father is "Brooder," someone who issues bemusing, sometimes ominous statements, but also statements that gradually come to light. Riddley is a riddler. His statements are choppy, apparently non-sensical and unsatisfactory. They give neither the comfort of understanding nor the opportunity for unraveling. They are bald and unknowable. Then there is "Walker," a name which, for a man like Riddley can only be ironic. As Riddley races through the text and as Goodparley himself states, Riddley "makes things happen." But is Riddley a prophet of some...
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