The White Tiger Summary

Introduction

Indian writer Aravind Adiga is the author of the book The White Tiger. It was released in 2008, and that same year, it was awarded the 40th Booker Prize. Through a retroactive narrator, Balram Halwai, a country lad, the novel offers a darkly hilarious view of India's class struggle in a globalised world. In the book, Hinduism, caste, loyalty, corruption, and poverty in India are all examined.

The book has gotten positive reviews; it was named to the New York Times bestseller list and won the Booker Prize. Aravind Adiga, who was 33 at the time, won the award as the fourth debut author and second-youngest writer. The author, Adiga, claims that his book "attempts to catch the voice of the men you meet as you travel through India - the voice of the colossal underclass."The unsaid voice of those from "the Darkness" or the destitute rural sections of India, had to be captured from The White Tiger, according to Adiga, and he "wanted to do so without sentimentality or portraying them as mirthless humourless weaklings as they usually are."

About Author

Aravind Adiga was born in 1974 in India, where he also received his education.

He received an M.Phil. in English Literature from Magdalen College in Oxford after studying it at Columbia University in New York.

He has been a journalist since 2000, beginning as a finance reporter for TIME magazine in New York before moving back to India in 2003. Numerous periodicals have published his pieces on politics, business, and the arts.

His first book, The White Tiger, was released in 2008 and was awarded the Man Booker Prize for Fiction the same year. Last Man in Tower (2011) is his most recent piece.

Summary

Balram Halwai, the protagonist of The White Tiger, is the son of a rickshaw driver who later succeeds as an entrepreneur. He writes to the Premier of China to inform him of how Indian entrepreneurs are created.

The narrative opens in a community ruled by four ruthless landowners. These landlords, known as "The Animals," have control over the author's family. The author, despite having a rough upbringing, does exceptionally well in school and is discovered by an inspector from another town. He receives the moniker "the White Tiger" from this inspector in honour of a rare Indian animal.

Although Balram's parents are aware of his ability, his grandmother pulls him out of school so he may work at a tea store. Balram intends to start a chauffeuring service so that he may finish his study. When he overhears a client discussing the high pay of chauffeurs, he begs to be allowed to attend driving school. His grandma consents provided that he sends all of the money he earns from working as a driver home.

After finishing his training, Balram travels to the wealthy Dhanbad family and offers his services. After Mr. Ashok and his wife Pinky Madam return from America, he makes his way to the residence of The Stork, one of Laxmangahr's animal landlords. Ram Persad, who occasionally drives them about, is one of the household members he helps in addition to Mr Ashok.

Balram discovers that the illegal coal trade is the source of the Stork family's wealth. Since the government is unaware of it, they pay authorities to maintain their operations. They just disagreed with the Great Socialist (a politician), which is unfortunate. Ashok and Pinky are being sent to Delhi to make things right by offering additional bribes. Balram believes this is a chance for him as well, thus he wants Ram Persad to be removed from office so he may take his position.

Once in Delhi, Balram sees Pinky and Ashok's marriage break down. After murdering a child in a hit-and-run incident, Pinky leaves her husband behind without any support and heads back to the US. Ashok goes out to bars and clubs while she is away, hiring prostitutes one night and reuniting with an ex-lover the next. Balram is discouraged by Ashok's lack of kindness towards him as he watches his master's steady degeneration. Balram understands that whatever generosity Ashok has shown is only a small portion of what he can afford, despite the fact that Ashok is generally good to him. He doesn't really care about assisting Balram in leading a better life or improving society; instead, all he thinks about is enjoying himself, which includes partying with prostitutes in nightclubs while ignoring his wife. Balram intends to kill Ashok and flee with the bag of cash that he uses to bribe city officials. He also has to deal with a system that traps individuals like him in poverty. If Balram kills Ashok, his family will avenge the crime by killing all of Balram's kin in Laxmangahr. In order for Balram to assist raise Dharam rather than kill Ashok, Kusum sends him from Dhanbad. Dharam is another factor holding Balram back.

Balram makes the decision to carry out Ashok's murder. He intends to murder him while he is operating his vehicle and has a weapon manufactured from a shattered spirits bottle. Ashok kneels to mend the wheel when Balram persuades him that there is a problem, Balram murders him by hitting him in the head with the shattered bottle. After killing Ashok, he returns home to retrieve his little cousin Dharam, and the two of them board a train bound for Bangalore to flee.

Conclusion

In the end, Balram justifies his conduct and decides that his independence is more important than the lives of Ashok and his family.

FAQ's

1. What views does Balram have on religion? How does this change during the course of the book?

When it comes to religion, Balram is sardonic and cynical and is not overly terrified of blasphemy. However, there are also indications that he has a strong spiritual side and has internalised many of the cults and superstitions that were prevalent in rural Indian villages. He is not terrified of deities, but he does believe in their existence. He thoroughly builds his own moral code to support his actions, as evidenced by the fact that he continues to kill in spite of this belief system. He chooses to disregard several things in order to further his own goals, including religion.

2. In The White Tiger, who or what is the Great Socialist?

The Great Socialist, a prominent local politician, appears in The White Tiger. The Great Socialist is a crooked, dishonest figure who routinely exploits his influence for his personal gain, despite his claims to be a voice for the poor and oppressed.

3. What was the actual motive for Mr Ashok's murder by Balram in The White Tiger?

Balram kills Mr Ashok in The White Tiger in order to escape what he refers to as the "Rooster Coop." He uses this as a metaphor for the oppression that impoverished Indians like himself experience. He will always be confined to this cage of oppression and exploitation as long as he continues to work for Ashok and his family. The only way he can escape from this is by killing Ashok.

4. What level of wealth does Balram's family enjoy in The White Tiger?

Balram's family is destitute and situated on a lower rung of society in The White Tiger. Balram's father drives rickshaws, and the landlords are cruel to him and his family. In order to support his family, Balram himself must drop out of school.