The White Tiger novel by Aravind Adiga

The White Tiger novel by Aravind Adiga

How far do you agree with the India

represented in the novel The White Tiger?

The White Tiger is a Man Booker Prize winning text by Arvind Adiga. The novel is both- praised and criticized. Praised because of its literary quality and criticized for ruthless portrayal of India.

Now the question is that at what extent we can believe in whatever said in  the text?? So the answer is at large extent anybody will agree that whatever written is real, it has grains of truth.

One of the advantages of studying text like The White Tiger is that, it is set in Indian background. We all are born and brought up here. So, whatever incidents are narrated in the novel, some of them may be experienced by each and every individual in his/ her personal life. For example...

→ Corruption in politics, police & education, pollution, prostitution, Hit & run, failure of governmental institution, Rich V/s poor conflict, tragic life of workers like rickshaw pullers, drivers, sweepers etc, Globalization and changing morality, two sides of India-Darkness and Light  etc.

 There is not a single object left out by Adiga. Whatever has come to his way, he has bluntly criticized it. Balram's  story is  a tale of bribery, corruption, skulduggery, toxic traffic jams, theft and murder.

While studying The Waste Land, there was a line "The Waste Land is a collage of several Images"; so I must say "The White Tiger is a collage of several experiences".

From the beginning Balram satirizes various institutions of India. He says ....."And our nation, though it has no drinking water, electricity, sewage system, public transportation, sense of hygiene, discipline, courtesy or punctuality, does have entrepreneurs."(P-4)

Here in school teachers are selling uniform of students given by government. Why teachers do this?? Because govt. don’t pay them their salary on time.

The similar thing happens with hospitals also that there is no doctor in hospital; he is in his own clinic. He can run clinic by bribing officers.

I may not believe the representation of India, unless if it is proved. The major incident in novel takes place in Delhi - capital of India. While working as a driver Balram many times refers to traffic jam and air pollution. Is it true? Do we have any scientific proof proving it as truth?

In last Nov-Dec (2015), there was a summit about climate change in France. According to agency's report, most 150 polluted cities were identified from all over the world. 15 cities of India were also mentioned there, and surprisingly Delhi was top in list. This report came in 2015, but this problem discussed much earlier novel in 2008.

Right now Odd & Even formula started by Delhi govt. to control traffic and pollution. This step also proves narrative as right.