The White Tiger (Adiga novel)

Last updated

The White Tiger
The White Tiger.JPG
Author Aravind Adiga
LanguageEnglish
Genre Picaresque novel
Published
Publication placeIndia
Media typePrint (hardback)
Pages318
ISBN 1-4165-6259-1
OCLC 166373034
823/.92 22
LC Class PR9619.4.A35 W47 2008

The White Tiger is a novel by Indian author Aravind Adiga. It was published in 2008 and won the 40th Booker Prize the same year. [1] The novel provides a darkly humorous perspective of India's class struggle in a globalized world as told through a retrospective narration from Balram Halwai, a village boy. The novel examines issues of the Hindu religion, caste, loyalty, corruption, and poverty in India. [2]

Contents

The novel has been well-received, making the New York Times bestseller list in addition to winning the Booker Prize. [3] Aravind Adiga, 33 at the time, was the second youngest writer as well as the fourth debut writer to win the prize. [4] Adiga says his novel "attempt[s] to catch the voice of the men you meet as you travel through India – the voice of the colossal underclass." [5] According to Adiga, the exigence for The White Tiger was to capture the unspoken voice of people from "the Darkness" – the impoverished areas of rural India, and he "wanted to do so without sentimentality or portraying them as mirthless humorless weaklings as they are usually." [5]

Plot summary

Balram Halwai narrates his life in a letter, written in seven consecutive nights and addressed to the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao. In his letter, Balram explains how he, the son of a rickshaw puller, escaped a life of servitude to become a successful businessman, describing himself as an entrepreneur.

Balram was born in a rural village in Gaya district, where he lived with his grandmother, parents, brother and extended family. He is a smart child but is forced to leave school in order to help pay for his cousin's dowry and begins to work in a teashop with his brother in Dhanbad. While working there he begins to learn about India's government and economy from the customers' conversations. Balram describes himself as a bad servant but a good listener and decides to become a driver.

After learning how to drive, Balram finds a job driving Ashok, the son of one of Laxmangarh's landlords. He takes over the job of the main driver, from a small car to a heavy-luxury described Honda City. [6] He stops sending money back to his family and disrespects his grandmother during a trip back to his village. Balram moves to New Delhi with Ashok and his wife Pinky Madam. Throughout their time in Delhi, Balram is exposed to extensive corruption, especially in the government. In Delhi, the contrast between the poor and the wealthy is made even more evident by their proximity to one another.

One night Pinky Madam takes the wheel from Balram, while drunk, hits something in the road and drives away; the reader is left to assume that she has killed a child through contextual clues. Ashok's family puts pressure on Balram to confess that he had been driving alone. Ashok becomes increasingly involved in bribing government officials for the benefit of the family coal business. Balram then decides that killing Ashok will be the only way to escape India's Rooster Coop – Balram's metaphor for describing the oppression of India's poor, just as roosters in a coop at the market watch themselves get slaughtered one by one, but are unable or unwilling to break out of the cage. [7] Similarly, Balram too is portrayed as being trapped in the metaphorical Rooster Coop: his family controls what he does and society dictates how he acts.

After killing Ashok by stabbing him with a broken bottle and stealing the large bribe Ashok was carrying with him, Balram moves to Bangalore, where he bribes the police in order to help start his own taxi business.

Just like Ashok, Balram pays off a family whose son one of his taxi drivers hit and killed. Balram explains that his own family was almost certainly killed by Ashok's relatives as retribution for his murder. At the end of the novel, Balram rationalizes his actions and considers that his freedom is worth the lives of his family and of Ashok. And thus ends the letter to Jiabao, letting the reader think of the dark humour of the tale, as well as the idea of life as a trap introduced by the writer.

Themes

Globalization

The White Tiger takes place in a time in which increased technology has led to world globalization, and India is no exception. In the 21st century, India has had one of the fastest growing economies. Specifically Americanization in India has played its role in the plot, since it provides an outlet for Balram to alter his caste. To satisfy Pinky's want for American culture, Ashok, Pinky, and Balram simply move to Gurgaon instead of going to back to America. Globalization has assisted in the creation of an American atmosphere in India. Ashok justifies this move by explaining "Today it’s the modernest suburb of Delhi-National Capital Region. American Express, Microsoft, all the big American companies have offices there. The main road is full of shopping malls—each mall has a cinema inside! So if Pinky Madam missed America, this was the best place to bring her". [8] By blackmailing Ram Persad, the other driver, Balram is promoted and drives Ashok and Pinky to their new home.

Ashok is even convinced India is surpassing the US, "There are so many more things I could do here than in New York now...The way things are changing in India now, this place is going to be like America in ten years". [9] Balram is noticing the rapid growth as well. From the beginning of his story he knows that in order to rise above his 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‘m always a man who sees 'tomorrow' when others see 'today.'" [10] Balram's recognition of the increasing competition resulting from globalization contributes to his corruption.

Individualism

Throughout the book, there are references to show how Balram is very different from his home environment. He is referred to as the "white tiger" [11] (which also happens to be the title of the book). A white tiger symbolizes power in East Asian cultures, [12] such as in Vietnam. It is also a symbol for freedom and individuality. Balram is seen as different from those he grew up with. He is the one who got out of the "Darkness" and found his way into the "Light".

Freedom

In an interview with Aravind Adiga, he talked about how "The White Tiger" was a book about a man's quest for freedom. [13] Balram, the protagonist in the novel, worked his way out of his low social caste (often referred to as "the Darkness") and overcame the social obstacles that limited his family in the past. Climbing up the social ladder, Balram sheds the weights and limits of his past and overcomes the social obstacles that keep him from living life to the fullest that he can. In the book, Balram talks about how he was in a rooster coop and how he broke free from his coop. The novel is somewhat a memory of his journey to finding his freedom in India's modern day capitalist society. Towards the beginning of the novel, Balram cites a poem from the Muslim poet Iqbal where he talks about slaves and says "They remain slaves because they can’t see what is beautiful in this world." [14] Balram sees himself embodying the poem and being the one who sees the world and takes it as he rises through the ranks of society, and in doing so finding his freedom.

Social class/classism

The book shows a modern day, capitalist Indian society with free market and free business. It also shows how it can create economic division. In India there are social classes and social castes. The novel portrays India's society as very negative towards the lower social caste.

Sections of the novel highlight discrimination against Muslims, India's largest religious minority. The protagonist's employers demand to know if he is Muslim. Later in the novel, a character is blackmailed by and later sacked when he is outed by the protagonist for secretly practicing Islam.

The novel is based on the disparities of two worlds: darkness, inhabited by poor and underprivileged who cannot even meet the bare minimum; and the lighted world, inhabited by zamindars, politicians, businessmen etc. who shamelessly exploits the ones from darkness, making them poorer and grows their own grandeur. [15] Balram refers to this as the "Darkness". When Balram was asked which caste he was from, he knew that it could ultimately cause a biased stance in his employer and determine the future of his employment. There is definitely a big difference seen in Balram's lower caste from back home and his current higher caste in their lifestyles, habits, and standards of living.

This novel highlights the socioeconomic discrimination in India's economic system, which creates divisions in Indian society. It limits opportunity, social mobility, health, and other rights and pleasures that should be given to all. There is a big difference in the amount of money spread around in society today and this book is alluding to that fact.

Reception

Upon release, The White Tiger was generally well-received. [16] According to the review aggregator Book Marks, the novel received "positive" reviews with 6 being "rave" and 1 being "positive" and 3 being "mixed" and 2 being "pan". [17] On Bookmarks Magazine Jan/Feb 2009 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg (3.5 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary stating, "Most critics thought that Adiga brilliantly told this story with wit and pathos. A few, however, thought that he lectured in parts, caricatured extreme wealth and poverty, and missed an opportunity to say something meaningful about Balram’s desperation instead of mocking upper-class life. Either way, Adiga is an author to watch". [18] Globally, the work was received generally well with Complete Review saying on the consensus "Generally fairly positive, and a few very enthusiastic". [19]

In 2020, Emma Lee-Potter of The Independent listed The White Tiger as one of the 12 best Indian novels. [20]

Film adaptation

On 5 April 2018, Ramin Bahrani was finalised to direct and write the film adaptation for Netflix. [21] On 3 September 2019, Rajkummar Rao, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Adarsh Gourav were cast in the film. [22] The film was released on 23 January 2021 in select theatres and on Netflix. It was nominated for Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2021.

Further reading

Mohapatra, Himansu S. (19 August 2023). "Babu Fiction in Disguise". Writing India Anew. Amsterdam University Press. pp. 129–144. doi:10.2307/j.ctt45kd51.11. ISBN   9789089645333. JSTOR   j.ctt45kd51.11.

Related Research Articles

Sebastian Barry is an Irish novelist, playwright and poet. He was named Laureate for Irish Fiction, 2018–2021.

Adiga is a surname from coastal Karnataka in India. It is found among Hindus of the Shivalli Brahmin community. Adiga surname is also referred to temple pooja priest in coastal Karnataka

A white tiger is a tiger with a genetic condition affecting its pelt's pigmentation.

Events in the year 2008 in the Republic of India.

Free Press was an American independent book publisher that later became an imprint of Simon & Schuster. It was one of the best-known publishers specializing in serious nonfiction, including path-breaking sociology books of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. After a period under new ownership in the 1980s of publishing neoconservative books, it was purchased by Simon & Schuster in 1994. By 2012, the imprint ceased to exist as a distinct entity; however, some books were still being published using the Free Press imprint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramin Bahrani</span> American film director

Ramin Bahrani is an Iranian-American director and screenwriter. Film critic Roger Ebert ranked Bahrani's Chop Shop (2007) as the sixth-best film of the 2000s, calling him "the new director of the decade". Bahrani was the recipient of the 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship. Bahrani is a professor of film directing at his alma mater, the Columbia University School of the Arts.

Mukul Deora is an Indian film producer, musician and entrepreneur based in Mumbai, he is best known for his music album Stray and producing The White Tiger (2021). Deora is a serial entrepreneur in packaging technology, digital content storage, workspace development, and film production and distribution. He is a multimedia artist who has performed at TED Talks India, Tate Modern, and Serpentine Gallery. Deora acquired the rights to the bestselling book series Gajapati Kulapati in 2023.

<i>Aavarana</i> Book by S. L. Bhyrappa

Aavarana is a 2007 Kannada novel by novelist S. L. Bhyrappa. Aavarana means enveloping or covering something. This novel deals with the historical character Timurid Emperor Aurangazeb. Aavarana was sold out even before its release in February 2007. The novel went on to create a record in the Indian literary world by witnessing 10 reprints within five months of its release.

Aravind Adiga is an Indian writer and journalist. His debut novel, The White Tiger, won the 2008 Man Booker Prize.

<i>Between the Assassinations</i> 2008 book by Aravind Adiga

'Between the Assassinations ' is a 2008 collection of short stories written by Aravind Adiga. It was published by Picador in India in 2008, and in Britain and the United States in 2009. While it reveals the beauty of the rural, coastal south where it is set, its subject is the pathos, injustices and ironies of Indian life.

<i>The Humbling</i> 2009 novel by Philip Roth

The Humbling is a novel by Philip Roth published in the fall of 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It is Roth's 30th book and concerns "an aging stage actor whose empty life is altered by a 'counterplot of unusual erotic desire'."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Books</span> British publishing house

Atlantic Books is an independent British publishing house, with its headquarters in Ormond House in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. It is perhaps best known for publishing Aravind Adiga's debut novel The White Tiger, which received the 40th Man Booker Prize in 2008, and for its long-standing relationship with the late Christopher Hitchens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laxmangarh Fort</span> Building in Sikar, India

Laxmangarh Fort is a ruined old fort on a hill in the town of Laxmangarh of Sikar district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Situated 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Sikar, it was built by Rao Raja Lakshman Singh of Sikar in 1805, who also founded a village in his own name as Laxmangarh in 1805.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parul Gulati</span> Indian actress

Parul Gulati is an Indian actress, entrepreneur and model who has appeared in several TV shows and Punjabi films. She is also a businesswoman and is the CEO and founder of her hair extensions brand ‘Nish Hair’.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V. T. Balram</span> Indian politician (born 1978)

V. T. Balram is an Indian politician from Kerala and a member of the Indian National Congress and vice-president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. He was a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly representing Thrithala constituency for two consecutive terms. Later he was defeated by M. B. Rajesh of Communist Party of India (Marxist) by a vote margin of 3173.

Prem Akkaraju is the founder of Weta Cloud – which sold to Unity Software on November 9, 2021, for $1.625 billion – and ex-CEO of Wētā FX.

<i>Selection Day</i> 2016 novel by Aravind Adiga

Selection Day is a 2016 sports fiction novel written by Booker Prize winner Aravind Adiga. It was shortlisted along with four other writers for the 2017 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. It tells the story of Mohan Kumar, a chutney seller who trains his two sons: Manju Kumar and Radha Krishna for Mumbai's under-19 cricket team. Here Manju meets his rival, Javed. It was adapted into a Netflix series of the same name.

<i>The White Tiger</i> (2021 film) 2021 film by Ramin Bahrani

The White Tiger is a 2021 Indian drama film written and directed by Ramin Bahrani. The film stars Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Rajkummar Rao. The film was produced by Mukul Deora and Ramin Bahrani, and executive produced by Chopra Jonas, Prem Akkaraju, and Ava DuVernay. An adaptation of Aravind Adiga's 2008 novel, the story is about Balram, who comes from a poor Indian village and uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adarsh Gourav</span> Indian film actor (born 1994)

Adarsh Gourav Bhagavatula is an Indian actor known for his works in Hindi and English-language films and television series. Gourav began acting with the drama film My Name Is Khan (2010). He is known for playing chauffeur Balram Halwai in the satirical film The White Tiger (2021), which garnered him international acclaim, and nominations for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.

The 2008 Man Booker Prize was awarded at a ceremony on 14 October 2008. The prize was awarded to Aravind Adiga for The White Tiger.

References

  1. ↑ "Amitav Ghosh, Aravind Adiga in Booker shortlist". Rediff.com . 9 September 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
  2. ↑ Robins, Peter (9 August 2008). "Review: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga". The Daily Telegraph . London. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
  3. ↑ The White Tiger: A Novel [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]. Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. ASIN   1416562591.
  4. ↑ "Aravind Adiga becomes the fourth debut novelist to win the coveted prize". The Man Booker Prize. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  5. 1 2 Young, Victoria (15 October 2008). "Novel About India Wins Man Booker Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  6. ↑ Adiga, Aravind (2008). The White Tiger. HarperCollins. p. 9. ISBN   9788172237455.
  7. ↑ "The Rooster Coop Symbol in The White Tiger – LitCharts".
  8. ↑ Adiga, Aravind (2008). The White Tiger . Free Press. pp.  101. ISBN   9781416562597.
  9. ↑ Adiga, Aravind (2008). The White Tiger . Free Press. pp.  77. ISBN   9781416562597.
  10. ↑ Adiga, Aravind (2008). The White Tiger . Free Press. pp.  274. ISBN   9781416562597.
  11. ↑ The White Tiger. p. 30.
  12. ↑ "Animal Symbolism".
  13. ↑ "YouTube". 15 October 2008. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  14. ↑ The White Tiger. p. 34.
  15. ↑ "BOOK REVIEW: THE WHITE TIGER BY ARAVIND ADIGA (WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2008)". Stories in Moments. Archived from the original on 16 September 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  16. ↑ "The White Tiger". Critics (in Greek). Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "The White Tiger". Book Marks. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "The White Tiger By Aravind Adiga". Bookmarks Magazine . Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  19. ↑ "The White Tiger". Complete Review. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  20. ↑ Lee-Potter, Emma (5 August 2020). "12 best Indian novels that everyone needs to read" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  21. ↑ "'Fahrenheit 451's Ramin Bahrani Sets Celebrated India-Set Novel 'The White Tiger' At Netflix As His Next Film". Deadline Hollywood . 5 April 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  22. ↑ "Priyanka Chopra-Jonas to Star in Adaptation of 'The White Tiger' for Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter . 3 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.