The White Tiger: Thinking Activity

We are studying "The New Literature" in M.A. Semester 4. As a part of this a group task was assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir to work in a team which allows students to enhance their teamwork skills. As a part of this we have worked on 'The White Tiger' a 40th booker prize winning novel The White Tiger.

It has become a great Learning experience to develop our teamwork skills, which provides opportunities to learn from each other's mistakes


Literature is not only a piece of entity which only entertains or gives aesthetic delight. But it also has deep folded messages, learning lessons, cultural values and reflection of society in which we live. So, When we read literature we should read it through multiple angles which will also provide a mirror of broad view through which we can study the culture of society.


There are many literary texts which are demonstrating Indian Culture, History, Ideas and thoughts of the time period in which it was written. For example... 


  • The Guide by R.K. Narayan
  • An autobiography of an Unknown Indian by Nirad C. Chaudhary
  • The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
  • A suitable boy by Vikram Seth
  • Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
  • Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil


The White Tiger by Arvind Adiga can also be categorised under the same group. The White Tiger by Adiga, is a Man Booker Prize winner novel that provides changing indian culture and India's class struggle within new globalized India written in a darkly humorous tone. Adiga says his novel attempts 


“to catch the voice of the men you meet as you travel through India — the voice of the colossal underclass."


So, The White Tiger is tory of Balram Halwai, a protagonist, coming from a poor class family who became the tone of many Indian. And Adiga gives a voice to voiceless people along with the representation of Indian Culture, Ideas, values, rural life, city life and changing dynamics of Indian Culture within the globalized world. The White Tiger by Adiga is written in a very opposite tone which is contrary to earlier literature As Robbie B.H. Goh argues in one of his articles that....


"Adiga’s novel is symptomatic of a “dark turn” in Indian anglophone writing, that rejects the “romance of the nation” trajectory of

earlier literature."


Contrary to Incredible India, Shining India, The Spiritual Hub or Digital India, India also has some darker realities which most of the time remain hidden under the burden to sustain the 'Very Image' of India at global level. But Adiga came with a totally different narrative which opens up all darker realities of India from Corruption, Evil Election System, Exploitative tendencies of so called rich people, politics of Power and money, Casteism, Deep rooted prejudices, Religious beliefs and many more. 


This blogspot is a part of Thinking Activity given by Prof. Dilip Barad where we have to answer some of the questions. To visit Teacher's Blog for the same please (CLICK HERE) So, Let's go through one by one question.


How far do you agree with the India represented in the novel 

'The White Tiger'?


An India, so dazzled by the glow of its own success that it has turned an adjective into a proper noun” (Soumya Bhattacharya)



The phrases like 'Incredible India, Digital India or Shining India are used to portray the very "Image" of India. And we are so enslaved within these images that we as Indian or Outsiders after listening to the songs of Shining India attract towards Great India. And Whenever writers like Adiga or Filmmaker like Donny Boyle try to demonstrate the surface reality of India, we become furious and criticize that portrayal, Because we care about 'Image' not reality. And Because of this reason critics read The White Tiger in two opposite directions.


Critical responses to Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger reveal two conflicting trends: one set of critics argues that the novel feeds into an orientalist fantasy of India as an underdeveloped and impoverished third world postcolony. Criticism at the other end of the spectrum celebrates Adiga’s novel for rupturing the myth of a “New India”

(Megha Anwer)


So, These are the two trends of critical responses, getting 'The White Tiger' novel. Now the question here is not that for  “For whom does Adiga write?” or “Whom does he seek to please – an external white audience or an Indian anglicized one?” But instead of this we should focus more within the text and look around India that "What is portrayed here is a true representation of India or not? And my answer is Yes. 'The White Tiger' captures the darker realities of India with a deep satirical tone and light humorous way, which is almost ignored by the many great writers time and again. What Balaram says about India, which is divided into India of Darkness and India of Lightness is absolutely true. And Adida tries to put these facts into front of the audience by using Balram as Narrator or Protagonist, A half-baked man narrates his own story to Chinese Premier. Balram's Struggle from Rags to Riches, Metamorphosis from Halwai to a Successful Entrepreneur is the story of many Middle Class or Lower Middle Class people in India.


The way India is represented in the novel and the way the novel breaks the very Romanticized and Glamourize image of India by pointing out sad realities which is also part of India. Dark satires on Education System, Hospitals, Election System, Politics and Democracy which are the very foundational roots of Developed India is also true to experience and Incidents happenings in the surrounding. So, The White Tiger with its fullest capacity criticizes India the way things work in India. B.H. Goh argues that...


Adiga’s novel is symptomatic of a “dark turn” in Indian anglophone writing, that rejects the “romance of the nation” trajectory of earlier literature.


So, Adiga's Novel rejects the very idea of 'Incredible India or Exotic India' by showing up the mirror towards the Corruption, Rotten Political System, Rooster Coop of Family Values and Servitude and how within this societal structure a Person coming from lower status always grinding like a millstone. So, The way India is represented in the Adiga Novel through the perspective of a Half-baked man is another side of India. And from where it is narrated also becomes important which adds the essence of facts and reality in it. Adiga also says in one of his interview with Stuart Jeffries (Guardian, October 15, 2008) 


"Well, this is the reality for a lot of Indian people and it's important that it gets written about, rather than just hearing about the 5% of people in my country who are doing well.


Do you believe that Balram's story is the archetype of all stories of 'rags to riches'?



“The White Tiger” explores India’s caste system—and, more generally, class struggle—by depicting one man’s vicious rags-to-riches story.


Rags to Riches can also be considered a genre of literature which composes the works written in Dickinson Style in which a protagonist coming from very poor backgrounds steps up the ladder of success and wealth at the end.


The Story of Balram Halwai is also a  story of man converting his life from Rags to Riches, The story is about a son of poor Rickshaw Puller breaks up the boundaries of Darkness, and Strong stereotypical walls of Casteism and Practices of Servitude and wins his own battle of becoming a successful entrepreneur. Balram himself says…


"Once I was a driver to a master, but now I am a master of drivers."

(Pg 182)


So, Story is progressive and moving in an upward direction where a son of Halwai becomes the man of free will follow-up his dream and become an entrepreneur. Balram Halwai in very first letter to Wen Jiabao says about his own story that this is "The Autobiography of a Half-Baked Indian. That's what I ought to call my life's story."


Christopher Booker in his book named "The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Write Stories" gives the seven basic structure of plot and among them he also added a plot type called 'Rags to Riches.' Here he gives five stages in story development. So, Let's how Balram Halwai's story fits within these 'Rags to Riches' plot structures.



The story within these plot structures begins with Initial wretchedness and chaos in the protagonist's life. Though 'The White Tiger' written Epistolary Form it goes in flashback from present and captures the utter poor background of Balram Halwai who is the narrator as well as Protagonist of the novel. Effective use of poster to narrate past events make the story more captivating and interesting. Balram is a son of Rickshaw Puller and has a dream and desire to earn wealth for the better future. But because of debt to the landlord he was forced to leave his study at the very initial stage and end up remaining half-baked in Education. Having bad memories of the sudden death of his Father and Mother and continuous torcher of his Grandmother Kusus dragged him into almost trauma. But at last he makes up his mind to run out from this wretchedness and chooses to learn driving and becomes a driver.


The second phase in Rags to Riches story is about getting into the open world. Finally after convincing his granny Balram makes his way from Darkness to Light, From Laxmangarh to Dhanbad. Where he learns driving and finally manages to become the Driver of The Stork's son Mr. Ashok. So, This is how the real world unfolding in front of Balaram's eyes when he came out from Laxmangarh. 


"The moment you recognize what 

is beautiful in this world, 

you stop being a slave."


Balram remembers this poetic line of Iqbal. The same happens with Balram himself. After coming out from the Darkness. Still he is not in Light. Because the inner Rooster Coop is still controlling his actions. The central crisis which Balram faces throughout the story is to break the walls of childhood conditioning and mind shaping. Here are some of the obstacles which are constantly controlling Balram's action…


  • Family is Everything. 
  • Notion of Servitude in Indian Slave-Master Relationship
  • Rooster Coop
  • The White Tiger - Name given to Balram by one Teacher


So, These are some of the Mental Conditioning by which Balram is surrounded and deep roots of these mind shaping do not allow Balram to come out of it and he is in search of his existence which became a central crisis in The White Tiger as the story belongs to Rags to Riches archetype.


The fourth phase in Rags to Riches plot is about pursuing Independence but within this aura you came across very ordeal and unpleasant experiences. For Balram Halwai, the notion of Servitude is carved in his mind in such a way that he considers his masters as father and mother. In the words of Balram Halwai…


"Absolutely nothing, sir. You're like a father and mother to me, and how can I ask for money 

from my parents?"


On one hand he is not able to forget the values which has been taught since childhood. But now he has a strong urge to get freedom for all these stereotypical notions. So, he stuck between what he had been told from childhood and now what he wanted to do, which is totally opposite from his childhood experiences. He says in villages people considered Hanuman as their most favourite God and they also learned the notion of Servitude from him.


"Do you know about Hanuman, sir? He was the faithful servant of the god Rama, and we worship him in our temples because he is a shining example of how to serve your masters with absolute fidelity, love, and devotion"


So, This how Balram Halwai is hypnotized in all such stereotypical values such as Servitude, family first, Masters are our mother and father, Rooster Coop and finally he pursues his own freedom by breaking all these walls. But Journey of coming out from Darkness to spread wings in the freedom of Lightness is not easy for him. Very revealing that he is trapped in the cages of all these Darkness gives him lots of pain in his Journey. So, Path towards Independence for Balram is not easy, it is full of ordeal or tests.


Fifth phase came in the life of Balram Halwai and Rags to Riches plot is of Fulfillment of wish at the end. Balram Halwai says…


"You see, I am in the 

Light now, but I was born and raised in Darkness."


So, Finally he makes up his mind to slit his master's throat and steal money. And one scary night he does the same and runs away from Delhi to Bangalore and starts his big business and becomes the owner of 'The White Tiger' taxi agency. So, To conclude it can be said that the story of Balram Halwai is a story of the son of Poor Rickshaw Puller died because of TB. And Balram was forced to leave his school in order to earn money for his family. But makes his own way to come out from this ancestral chain of business and decides to escape from this "eternal captivity". And become a successful entrepreneur. One film critic Justin Chang also remarks...


The White Tiger is like a Dickensian rags-to-riches story by way of a Patricia Highsmith psychological thriller, but Balram's wickedly conspiratorial narration gives it an extra layer of satire.

(Justin Chang)











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