AustLit

'According to David Marr's biography, Patrick White suffered acutely from dental problems during his life. The debilitating effects stemming from those problems are reflected in White's fiction, which shows a marked preoccupation with the state of its characters' teeth. Teeth imagery recurs in character descriptions throughout his work, including Voss, The Solid Mandala, and The Prodigal Son. White's distinctive use of teeth imagery is equally present in Riders in the Chariot. This essay explores the significance of teeth in Riders in the Chariot and argues that descriptions of teeth are indicative of the inner moral, ethical, or spiritual fibre of White's characters.' (Author's introduction)