The two central characters in A Clockwork Orange and Riddley Walker are presented in very similar ways, both novels are written in a first person perspective - as if the narrator is talking to the reader and this creates intimacy between the reader and protagonist. In the Riddley Walker novel, Riddley is writing almost as if it is a diary for the reader. It is all in the past tense until the final chapters in the story where he begins writing in the present. Alex also tells his story in the past tense until part three when he seems to have matured and has recovered from the Ludovico technique.
Both stories are also written with the dystopian technique which is showing the world in its worst forms and acting like a warning to the reader of what the world will become. By having the two protagonists telling the story in a first person view it allows the reader to understand their characters with more depth. This insight can create sympathy and empathy for the protagonists even when they are doing something that should make the reader dislike their characters. Throughout the story Alex has committed violent crimes but at the end of the novel when he becomes the victim, it does provoke some sympathy from me.This could be because he has become helpless and can't fight back because of the Ludovico technique and that it seems unfair that he should be subjected to the violence as he pleads to Dim telling him 'I just don't get this at all/I have been punished'.
A difference between the two characters is that Riddley seems to be a noble young man who doesn't want to cause violence or 'trubba' but is aware that it happens around him; for example when the wild dog threw itself onto his spear, when Good Parley has his eyes gorged out and seeing his father's painful death.Whereas Alex and his gang of 'droogs' go looking for 'ultra violence' and enjoyed committing it as it was part of their entertainment and way to make easy money. By having this subtle difference the reader is able to feel more of a connection with Riddley and empathize with him more over Alex because he seems to be the kinder of the two. Some readers can sympathise with Alex but they must be aware of how unpredictable he is, causing them to connect to the character from a distance.After reading both novels I do find that I like and empathize for the character of Riddley much more than Alex because Riddley comes across as more of friendly inconspicuous character. Burgess has tried to use the technique of having Alex call the readers throughout the story his 'Brothers' by doing this it is subconsciously trying to make the reader feel more relaxed and connected to Alex's character.
It is difficult to find his character appealing and be able to sympathise with him because of the crimes he commits and how in the story he seemingly goes from a kind to nasty person very quickly.Sometimes it almost seems out of character because as he commits the crimes he refers to himself as 'Your Humble Narrator' which of course humble he is not and by referring to himself in that way with the capital letter on each word shows his arrogance which is not attractive for the reader. He also only volunteers to go ahead with the Ludovicco technique because he would get out of prison quicker - not because he would be a better person after doing it. 'Oh it will be nice to be good, sir. 'But I had a real horrorshow smeck at that inside, brothers. Often I found that I wasn't able to feel sympathy for Alex because of the crimes that he had committed but as Riddley ran away with the dogs in Chapter 11 without any idea why he has and isn't sure where they are leading him, if they will turn on him and will his tribe hunt him down? I empathise with him because he is innocent and has no idea what he is getting himself into.
However Alex is very aware what he is doing throughout the story so any problems and trouble he gets himself into is caused only by himself.Both characters start in the novels as young boys who change throughout the story as they become more mature. At the end of both novels the characters have a new found awareness, new morals and value for life and in turn become men, instead of boys. The reasons that they have changed however are different; Alex changes out of boredom; he no longer finds the ultra violence he used to commit appealing and often found himself feeling very 'tired' of the ultra violence wanting to 'hoard' all his money to himself and had even begun carrying around a newspaper cutting of a baby in his wallet.He knows that want he wants from life is slowing changing, 'There was something happening inside me, and I wondered if it was like some kind of disease' However by referring to his change as a disease shows the reader that he has not quite come to terms with his change yet.
By Alex changing for the good the reader can now empathize with him as he begins to think of wanting a normal relationship with a girl and working a normal job and having children.The reader can empathize because now he has turned good and wants things that the reader of the novel would want. Riddley changes because he has nothing left in the tribes and wants to carry on travelling in memory of Good Parley's 'Pooty ; Punch' show, the reader can sympathise with Riddley because he has lost friends through his story, he lost Lissener who he referred to as his 'moon brother' when choosing to separate, and he lost Good Parley through the accident with the gunpowder.The only friends that he can trust to stick by him are the wild dogs. To summarise all my points I think that it is fair to say that Riddley's character is far easier to sympathize and empathize with because throughout the story he is a consistently nice person, trying to see the good in people, while Alex's character throughout the story has always been focused on himself and hurting people for pleasure.
