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'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)