The novel by the renowned Indian author Aravind Adiga throw light on the life of Indian society at a time when caste differences and slavery were prominent. Through the life of an entrepreneur, Balram Halwai, the author explores the lives of the villagers in India. Adiga divides India into two- "India of darkness" and "India of light".
The protagonist of the novel who also doubles up as an antagonist represents a typical member of the downtrodden class who learns to cope with the evils of the modern materialistic world. The ugliness of rotten politics, the darkness to which the poor in India gets bound and the value of human relationships are all presented through the life of Balram. Adiga also makes fun of the different religions and their deities when he refers to the '36,000,004' Gods worshiped in India.
The title of the novel is metaphorical since THE WHITE TIGER refers to the rare individual tiger born once in a generation. It symbolizes the growth and evolution of the protagonist who finally succeeds in escaping the 'rooster-coop' and becomes a rare piece himself. Also, Balram discovers a new India and turns into an iconoclast of his generation. He was brave enough to think out of the box which eventually helped him to become an autonomous entity rather than leading the life of a slave.
Adiga dives deep into the lives of the agrarian sections of India who constitute about 70 percent of the population. The life in villages is that of 'darkness' and the residents desperately try to move towards 'light' just like the insects. But by the time they achieve their desired goals, the end is near. Even though we attained freedom from our colonizers long before there is not much change in this scenario which proves the relevance of the book and its central theme.
The novel tells the success story of a man who learnt what to be and what not to be. Balram keeps his senses alert to everything around him which finally enables him to master the tricks of politics and other tactics of the elite classes. He recognize how he has been stereotyped as a servant and as a 'water-buffalo' who is supposed to pull the load of the entire family. But unlike his father, Balram gives up the burden in order to free himself.
The blood of caste system runs so deep in the veins of Balram, that he is unable to free himself from the thought of being a servant. Being accustomed to the life of a slave he loses his mind quite often but in the end he emerges as the 'white tiger'- a rare creature born once in a lifetime.
The protagonist of the novel who also doubles up as an antagonist represents a typical member of the downtrodden class who learns to cope with the evils of the modern materialistic world. The ugliness of rotten politics, the darkness to which the poor in India gets bound and the value of human relationships are all presented through the life of Balram. Adiga also makes fun of the different religions and their deities when he refers to the '36,000,004' Gods worshiped in India.The title of the novel is metaphorical since THE WHITE TIGER refers to the rare individual tiger born once in a generation. It symbolizes the growth and evolution of the protagonist who finally succeeds in escaping the 'rooster-coop' and becomes a rare piece himself. Also, Balram discovers a new India and turns into an iconoclast of his generation. He was brave enough to think out of the box which eventually helped him to become an autonomous entity rather than leading the life of a slave.
Adiga dives deep into the lives of the agrarian sections of India who constitute about 70 percent of the population. The life in villages is that of 'darkness' and the residents desperately try to move towards 'light' just like the insects. But by the time they achieve their desired goals, the end is near. Even though we attained freedom from our colonizers long before there is not much change in this scenario which proves the relevance of the book and its central theme.
The novel tells the success story of a man who learnt what to be and what not to be. Balram keeps his senses alert to everything around him which finally enables him to master the tricks of politics and other tactics of the elite classes. He recognize how he has been stereotyped as a servant and as a 'water-buffalo' who is supposed to pull the load of the entire family. But unlike his father, Balram gives up the burden in order to free himself.
The blood of caste system runs so deep in the veins of Balram, that he is unable to free himself from the thought of being a servant. Being accustomed to the life of a slave he loses his mind quite often but in the end he emerges as the 'white tiger'- a rare creature born once in a lifetime.
Hi Nandhitha,I like your writing style and how you use words to paint a picture of the novel as opposed to a rather dull,ineffective and bland style that are usual when it comes to reviews. You have a good grip over language and that is one of your really strong points. Apart from a few mild grammatical errors, the review is pretty good. I'd love to read what you have to say about "Narcopolis" by Jeet Thayil . If you haven't read it yet, you totally should! Also, try reading Western stuffs too. "To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee is an amazing book( admittedly, I'm prejudiced! Hehe) . If you do read Western lit and translations a lot, then you MUST write about them! Good job, kid :)
ReplyDeleteThat is* usual .. Excuse the bad grammar :D
DeleteThanks chechi... It means a lot to me! I'll surely try to improve on my Grammar. I do read western lit but i'm a beginner here so just thought of starting with Indian lit. I'll try to read the books you have suggested. Thanks for ur words of appreciation:-)
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