Name:  Ankita Vadher.

Paper No: New Literature

Sem-4,

M.A. -2

Roll No: 1,

Year: 2012-13.

Submitted To,

Dr. Dillip Barad,

Dept.of. English,

M.K. Bhavnagar University,

                                 Bhavnagar

Various Themes of ‘The White Tiger.’

   “The White Tiger” is the debut novel by Indian author Arvind Adiga the novel provides a darkly comic view of modern day life in India through the narration of its protagonist Blaram Halwai. It created two different India in one: “an India of Light and an India of Darkness.” It is the India of darkness which is focused by the novelist articulating the voice of silent majority trying to dismantle the discrimination between the “Big Bellies and the Small Bellies” and created a society based on the principles of equality and justice. Balram halwai the protagonist is a typical voice of under class metaphorically described as “Rooster Coop” and struggling to set free from age old slavery and exploitation. The story also exposes the poor rich divide that surrounds India in the backdrop of economic prosperity in the wake of the IT revolution the novel written in the epistolary form and it is a seven part letter to the Chinese premier, wen Jiabao from Balram alias Ashok Sharma, self styles thinking man and an entrepreneur. Novel deals with the unhappy division of social classes in to the haves and haves nots. The cultural domination of the first world and the main theme of the novel is the contrast between India’s rise is the contrast between India’s rise as a modern global economy and its working class people who live in crushing poverty. Other themes touched on include the corruption in to Indian society and politics, religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims the experience of returning to India after living in America, globalization and the rivalry between India and china etc. such Themes are:

vLightness and Darkness

     Adiga created two different India’s in one “an India of light and an India of darkness.” It is extreme poverty which creates darkness in the life of the rural as well as urban people and it perpetuates the sufferings of the underclass. The world of darkness abounds with social taboos rigid cast distinction, superstitions cast and culture conflict. Man is known and recognized by his cast the old driver of stork asked Balram: “What Cast are you?” similar question is asked by stork: Halwai”…. What cast is that, top or bottom?” from the very beginning Balram attempts to navigate from his home town in “The Darkness” to become a member of urban society and light then becomes a multifaceted symbol of time (the future) wealth and location (Bangalore) darkness represents the past, poverty, rural India and loyalty to family and master while light represents present in Bangalore with Balram Halwai.

vThe Indian Family

     In an interview with the guardian Adiga emphasizes the importance of family in Indian society if you are rude to your mother in India, it’s a crime as a bad as stealing world be here.” He explains for Balram to abandon his family then is perhaps his greatest crime. “This is a shameful and dislocating thing for an Indian to do”, Adiga remarks of his protagonist. The family of Balram is poor but very traditional. Men and woman sleep in different corners of their house and al members of the family adore and carry for the water buffalo, which is fed by the woman still before they make the male for their husbands every member of the family works Hard for the well being of their relatives. Balram also understands the severity of his actions. Fear for his family is the largest obstacle he must overcame to carry out Mr. Ashok’s murder in the days before he has vision imagining a buffalo in the street blaming him for the deaths of his family. Even after he becomes a businessman in Bangalore he goes to temple to pray for their spirits.

vThe Cast system

     The White Tiger is the discussion of India cast system. The cast system in India is a social  system that divides the Indian is a social system that divides the Indian population in to higher and lower social classes the cast system still remain in rural India and it’s disappearing in urban India. The cast one belongs in determines his or her occupation. Now there are only two castes in India the haves and haves nots. Balram was born in to the Halwai cast meaning ‘Sweet Maker’ and was the son of a rickshaw puller not a sweet maker, because some one with power stole his destiny of being a sweet maker from him. Adiga brings awareness to the corrupt India cast system by Balram. He is the conscience of underclass their anger frustration protest and revenge, ready to adopt a new moral code of conduct to succeed in life. Murder of Ashok by Balram is the reaction of deep rooted frustration of underclass experiencing the polarities between the upper class and lower class. Balram educated the Chinese premier throughout his letters about the corruption and immoral ways of India’s caste system and its economic gap. Although it may seem that Balram’s position in society will forever remain the same he manages to go from a sweet shop worker to a personal driver for a rich man and finally to an owner of a small business. Entrepreneurial success. And modern city culture has deep rooted impact on our life Balram’s quest to becoming on entrepreneur shows the oppression of the lower cast system and the superiority of the upper caste Balram shows the country of India in which a person high on the cast system can bribe people such as police officer with money to cover up murders and sabotage political opponents by rigging votes and money. He also shows the side of India in which those who are born in to poverty and low castes may forever remain there and so will their children. The novel portrays India’s as very negative towards the lower social caste Balram refer to it as “Darkness.” This novel is showing how our economic system today creates socioeconomic gaps that create a big division in society.

vGlobalization

      The White Tiger place in the modern day world where increased technology has led to world globalization and India is no exception. In the past decade India has had one of the fastest booming economies specifically Americanization in India has played its role in the plot, since it provides an outlet for Balram to alter his caste. According Balram is successful due to fact that international companies outsource their information media and products for production in India. Balram claims that outsourcing is the key to future economic success as international businesses profit quite well in India, especially if they are in the technology field. Globalization has assisted in the creation of an American atmosphere in India. Ashok justifies this move by explaining today it’s the modernist suburb of Delhi. American express, Microsoft, all the big American companies have offices there the main road is full of shopping malls each malls has a cinema inside! So if Pinky madam missed America, this was the best place to bring her.”Ashok is even convinced India is surpassing the USA; “there are so many more things I could do than in new York now. “The way things are changing in India now, this place is going to be like America in ten years.” Balram is noticing the rapid growth as well. From the beginning of his story he knows that in order to rise above is caste he should become an entrepreneur. Although his taxi service is not an international business. Balram plans to keep up with the pace of globalization and change his trade when need be. “I am always a man who sees “Tomorrow “when other sees “Today.”

vIndividualism

      Balram is very different from those back in his home Environment he is referred to as ‘The White Tiger’ Balram is told that he is like a White Tiger. ‘The White Tiger’ have their owe cages a White Tiger symbolizes power and in East Asian cultures and also a symbol for freedom and individuality. Balram is seen as different from those he grew up with he is the one who get of the “Darkness” and found his way in to the “light.” Thus these are the major themes of The White Tiger.