The white tiger thinking activity

1] How far do you agree with the India represented in the novel The White Tiger?

Any work of literature focuses on any one side of the thing. The writer may like to write about king or about starving family. The poet may like to praise beauty of nature or may her beloved. Including all the aspects in single piece of art is not possible and also not supposed to do. Aravind Adiga focuses on dark side of India for his piece of art. A novel, “The White Tiger”.

India in this novel is full of corruption, poverty and servitude. Some may not like this picture of India but reality is reality. It is even more important to bring out negative side of the society than praising it, otherwise metaphors for literature like axe and x-ray would become inappropriate. In novel we see India through Balaram’s eyes. Corruption in education, quality of teacher, servitude, dirtiness of Ganga, political corruption, bribery, murder, crime and lot many things are criticized. Balaram experiences all those things and finds out how it works in India. The real India we see through our eyes is not different from Adiga’s India. It is same India. We see corruption in education, temples, politics, etc. Good newspapers and news websites give the same picture of India. Thus, there is no doubt that Adiga has presented true picture of India.

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

If the question is, Is it possible to become successful only by honesty and hardwork? Then in answer of that there are two interesting dialogues in Hindi movie ‘Kaalia’. First is, "महेनत से ईनसान सिर्फ झोंपडिया बना सकता है, ऐसे आलिशान महल नही।" (Through  hard work, one can build a hut, not such a palace) and second is, "दौलत का पेड जब भी उगता है पाप की जमीं पे ही उगता है। (Whenever a tree of money grows, it grows in the grounds of evil)

Every story of rags to riches are same as Balaram's story. No poor can become rich without doing wrong deeds. If Balaram had never murdered Ashok and steal money he had never been able to start taxi business. After that if he had not bribed police to raid on other taxi services he would have not get success. After that also when one of the driver kills a girl in accident Balaram settles all by bribing girl’s parents otherwise his whole business would have ruined and he might had behind the bars. In the end of the novel also he fears if police will come and he will be in jail. Same thing can happen with him what he had done with others. Whatever Balaram did is very realistic. No one can run such a big business without doing wrong things. There are competitions in big business and for their success they can do anything. Murders happen, rape happens but rich people can settle it. Like Balaram by giving money, if that not work then by threatening and if that also not work then by killing. By honesty people can become successful at some level but after that no one can sustain without wrong deeds. Rich people in interviews and their books will tell how they were once poor and by hard work became successful. Obviously they will not tell the truth behind their success like Balaram.

3] "Language bears within itself the necessity of its own critique, deconstructive criticism aims to show that any text inevitably undermines its own claims to have a determinate meaning, and licences the reader to produce his own meanings out of it by an activity of semantic 'freeplay' (Derrida, 1978, in Lodge, 1988, p. 108). Is it possible to do deconstructive reading of The White Tiger? How?

Balaram calls his life an autobiography of a half baked Indian. The sentence of half baked Indian is satirical and he uses it for people who are not educated and not inelegant. He tells that entrepreneurs are made from half baked clay. So he calls himself half baked. But he is more than that. He is able to think differently than crowd, he is able to observe and find out how the world operates. When he was at tea shop he listens talks of politics, elections and lot many things. He learns from that. When he was inin Bangalore he experiences crime, bribery and corruption. That also helps him in building and running business. To become an entrepreneur and manage all the matters is not that easy and half baked man can not handle it. Balaram Halawai is learned person who writes in letter that I will tell you truth about India. So he is sure he is knowing India more than anyone. He calls himself a philosopher also. So, first telling that he is half baked and than telling he will tell you truth about India, calling himself philosopher, knowing all about how to be a successful entrepreneur, all these contrasts with his identity of half baked Indian. So, that way it can be loose stone for deconstruction.

4] Is it possible to read The White Tiger in context of Globalisation?

Effect of globalization can be found in the novel. Visit of premier of China Ziabao of India itself is globalization and business between two countries. Apart from this it also shows that Asian countries are rising in this global world. And what effect it makes is that one part of India is becoming very rich while most of the people remaining poor. This condition is shown in the novel. Bangalore is part of that globalised world and Mr. Ashok and Pinky madam’s way of living is much westernized. Going to mall, affair, alcohol and Balaram even thinks Pinky madam is foreigner. The protagonist of the novel Balaram Halwai is not a traditional Indian man but he has his own morality. He is a man of this globalised India and so his way of thinking is different. He runs after the success. For him escaping from this rooster coop is everything. He does not care for family. He starts to send them money and lets them killed by Stork. He puts self before the family. And after every crime he justifies himself. He also says that the whole world will come Bangalore tomorrow. He wanted to start real estate business so he can give apartments to Americans. Thus in this way effects of globalization can be found.