Adiga, Aravind. The White Tiger. India: Harper Collins Publishers India. ISBN 978-81-7223-745-5. 2008
From the dusty bowls of an Indian village, a rustic boy moves to the heart of India, Delhi, as a chauffeur to a foreign returned couple. The ‘White Tiger’, a creature unique among its fellow yellow tigers, is seen by Balram Halwai as a symbol of his own uniqueness and so he nurses dreams of a better life. He chooses to fulfil it through the murder of his master from whom he robs a large sum of money, large enough to make him an entrepreneur and a successful one at that.
Seen in this perspective, it is a simple tale of greed and a new morality code- you can make your dreams come true, by chance, hook, crook or well planned criminal intentions.
There are two Indias juxtaposed here in the beginning – the India of poor, yet contented rural families, aspiring for nothing more than a few buffaloes and sons who go out to cities to make a little money; the other, the India of rich people, forever aspiring to more riches, more affluence, more money to spend.
Slowly, the underlying layers of other Indias emerge. There is the affluent young generation, no longer content with the spoils of life, but desiring something more than corrupt ridden fortunes and pretty young things as wives. This generation is confused, forever searching for something of substance, a return to the roots.
From the dusty bowls of an Indian village, a rustic boy moves to the heart of India, Delhi, as a chauffeur to a foreign returned couple. The ‘White Tiger’, a creature unique among its fellow yellow tigers, is seen by Balram Halwai as a symbol of his own uniqueness and so he nurses dreams of a better life. He chooses to fulfil it through the murder of his master from whom he robs a large sum of money, large enough to make him an entrepreneur and a successful one at that.
Seen in this perspective, it is a simple tale of greed and a new morality code- you can make your dreams come true, by chance, hook, crook or well planned criminal intentions.
There are two Indias juxtaposed here in the beginning – the India of poor, yet contented rural families, aspiring for nothing more than a few buffaloes and sons who go out to cities to make a little money; the other, the India of rich people, forever aspiring to more riches, more affluence, more money to spend.
Slowly, the underlying layers of other Indias emerge. There is the affluent young generation, no longer content with the spoils of life, but desiring something more than corrupt ridden fortunes and pretty young things as wives. This generation is confused, forever searching for something of substance, a return to the roots.
There is also the India of Balram, who moves from the village to the city and sees wealth flaunted in excess right before his eyes. It is wealth, good life, so near, yet intangible, till he takes it greedily and forcefully from his trusting master.
Contrary to all moral edicts, Balram flourishes with the ill gotten wealth, just as his masters did, with their black money. What is the moral – greed pays? Corruption paves the way for pleasures? Entrepreneurship comes at a cost? Success comes to all …the good, the bad and the ugly?
At the end of it all…there was a growing discontent in me. The story is not complete…the moral is not there…there is no clear definition of happiness…Indian ethos, its religious and cultural traditions do not save a Nav Bharath from emerging…All this sets you thinking, contemplating and wringing your hands in despair, but , oh, it is all so true, so convincing, so real! I realise it is not discontent, but a restlessness, an agitation born of reluctant acceptance that troubles me when I read the book.
However, one admires Adiga for his dry wit and humour. There is an amazing simplicity in his writing. That is an Indian speaking, thinking genuinely and authentically in Balram. That is why any Indian reading this story will feel discomfort…that Balram is also an Indian acting genuinely and authentically! I loved the irreverence of Adiga. It is refreshing, since it fits in with the amorality of the story.
There is nothing like this that I have read that has made me think so long and hard about the Nav Bharath emerging this century. Old, I am…
Contrary to all moral edicts, Balram flourishes with the ill gotten wealth, just as his masters did, with their black money. What is the moral – greed pays? Corruption paves the way for pleasures? Entrepreneurship comes at a cost? Success comes to all …the good, the bad and the ugly?
At the end of it all…there was a growing discontent in me. The story is not complete…the moral is not there…there is no clear definition of happiness…Indian ethos, its religious and cultural traditions do not save a Nav Bharath from emerging…All this sets you thinking, contemplating and wringing your hands in despair, but , oh, it is all so true, so convincing, so real! I realise it is not discontent, but a restlessness, an agitation born of reluctant acceptance that troubles me when I read the book.
However, one admires Adiga for his dry wit and humour. There is an amazing simplicity in his writing. That is an Indian speaking, thinking genuinely and authentically in Balram. That is why any Indian reading this story will feel discomfort…that Balram is also an Indian acting genuinely and authentically! I loved the irreverence of Adiga. It is refreshing, since it fits in with the amorality of the story.
There is nothing like this that I have read that has made me think so long and hard about the Nav Bharath emerging this century. Old, I am…
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