Riddley Walker is 12 years old at the beginning of the novel. How does his young age impact his decision making? How is he perceived by other, older people?

Riddley, like many characters, loses his father at a young age. How does the loss of a father (or a father figure) affect the development of characters in the novel?

The political organization of Inland is centered on a rudimentary government named the Ram. How does the Ram exert its authority and project the power of the state? How do different characters react to this projection?