Adiga's Roar: A Review of The White Tiger

 Adiga's Roar: A Review of The White Tiger

Hello,

Welcome to the world of Adiga. In this blog I will review the Booker prize winning book, " The White Tiger" published in 2008. Intresting fact- Times of India called it Adiga's "masterpiece".

First let's talk about the cover.

The cover shows a cartoon tiger and rooster on red grass with a black background. It feels like a cool and dark joke, and the book is exactly that – fun and full of surprises.

The rooster and white tiger are treated the same in a coop. They seem equal, but their futures are set. Ironically, in India, rich and educated people have more power, keeping poverty going. Instead of saying this directly, the author tells a dark story about a white tiger breaking free.

The rooster on the cover represents the "rooster coop" metaphor Balram uses. He tells the Chinese Premier about the oppression of India's poor. Balram compares it to roosters in a coop, watching others get hurt but not rebelling.

The long discription of rooster scene put us in thought why are they not rebelling ? As compare to common men they are working more hours and also do physical labour. Still the law-wages be there as unanswerable question. This reflects the fate of the poor in India. People at lower economic levels also feel resentful because they can't see their peers move up the economic ladder.

“The Rooster Coop was doing its work. Servants have to keep other servants from becoming innovators, experimenters, or entrepreneurs. Yes, that’s the sad truth, Mr. Premier. The coop is guarded from the inside.”

Let me introduce story in brief.

"Neither you nor I speak English, but there are some things that can be said only in English."

It is the story divided in seven nights. Balram Halwai( our narrator, hero or anti-hero we don't know) tells the story of how he becomes a successful entrepreneur in Bangalore, a tech hub in India. Born in a small village in Bihar, he couldn't study much.

The story is based on letters from Balram Halwai to the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. I think epistolary form is experimented by Adiga. We are only looking at the story from Balram's perspective. Balram is unreliable narrator, is't he ?

The information comes from an unreliable source, All India Radio. Wen Jiabao is visiting Bangalore to learn about Indian entrepreneurship. Balram thinks the Premier should know his story. He hopes the Premier sees the real India,(Indian of light and India of Darkness too) not just what the Prime Minister's office or brochures show. The communication has a superior tone, as if the Chinese Premier will gain a lot from these revelations.

Balram Halwai became 'The White Tiger' because he was the only one who could read and write in his Government School during an inspection. The inspector called him the White Tiger, a rare creature.He was promised a scholarship and a chance to study in Dhanbad. Sadly, in darkness, his dreams were shattered.

Let's take a look at present scenario. According to ASER 2018 report,only  27.2%of the students of goverment school can read at least a standard 2 level text. Ten years ago in 2008, nationally, more than 20% of girls in the 15 to 16 age group were not enrolled in school. In 2018, this figure has decreased to 13.5%. This number reveling the, what Adiga said is right. There is also gender gape. 

Unfortunatley, Balram was taken out of school and made to work at a tea stall to repay a loan for his cousin sister's wedding, borrowed from the village landlord. Balram's views however, are different related to the education and school.

"If the Indian village is paradise, then the school is paradise within paradise."

With this dialouge it reveled that how Balram learned and planned everything.

" I am not original thinker-but I am Original Listener."

"But that is your fate if you do your job well—with honesty, dedication, and sincerity, the way Gandhi would have done it, no doubt. I did my job with near total dishonesty, lack of dedication, and insincerity—and so the tea shop was a profoundly enriching experience." 

This lines don't make you suspected about Balram ? He used rather this skills, so we can consider him smart in this sense. 

Adiga weaves together rural education, healthcare, police work, coal mining, democracy, and urbanization in a story. He adds details like driving in Delhi and the difference between Maruti 800 and Honda City. This detailed give it Indian touch. 

The rich in the novel aren't named but called animals or birds like stork, raven, buffalo, wild boar, and mongoose based on their traits. Balram somehow becomes a driver at the Stork household, his first step out of darkness. Later, he drives for Ashok and Pinky Madam, Stork's son and daughter-in-law returned from America. Becoming a driver for a rich Indian family changes Balram. Working for Ashok and Pinky gives him modern insights into Indian society and helps him become financially successful.

Moreover, After the British left in 1947, chaos ensued, and the caste system blurred. There used to be a thousand castes, but now there are only two – those with big bellies and those with small bellies. The theme of bellies is important. One scene is there, in that rich is going for walks to reduce fat while thin servants stand by with water and towels. Adiga also touches on how in India, a driver does multiple jobs like cooking, serving, and massaging when not driving.

How we read or seen the old-aged figures in literature and life ?

Good, generous, kind, helpful, supportive. Not here...

As Northrop Frye considered it as one of the archetype. But Adiga is different in this case.

Kusum, the grandmother and head of the Halwai family, is a powerful villain in the story's darkness. Such characters are rare in Indian fiction. She insists on the boys working instead of studying, ensuring their earnings and dowry come to her. She keeps the cycle of marriage, children, and death going.

Shall we consider her villan or not that is the question. What if story infolds with her perspective ?

An interesting link is drawn between Hanuman as the faithful servant to his master Ram; and how such mythological references instill a deep-seated servitude amongst its population. Slave morality rather then Master morality as Nietzsche said. It works because family is crucial for Indians. The constant threat to protect one's family from the masters keeps the harmful cycle going. The system decides that when masters commit crimes, innocent poor servants take the blame and punishment.

 “…despite your triumphs in sewage, drinking water, and Olympic medals, still don’t have democracy….If I were making a country, I’d get the sewage first, then the democracy.” 

Another interesting take is on democracy in India.He explains India has three serious diseases: typhoid, cholera, and election fever. We see fake or forced voting, candidates with criminal cases, and a clash between socialist and the current party in power.

"the Great Socialist started off as a good man. He had come to clean things up, but the mud of Mother Ganga had sucked him in. Others said he was dirty from the start, but he had just fooled everyone and only now did we see him for what he was." 

Balram at the tea stall heard all the things. Author masterfully used narrator to comment upon the #India_of_Darkness. Reading, especially if you're Indian, makes you feel connected to the author's thoughts. For instance, Adiga talks about blurry pictures of criminals on police posters, saying it could be 'half the men in India'

EXCLUSIVE TRUE STORY: “A GOOD BODY NEVER GOES TO WASTE” MURDER. RAPE. REVENGE.  Balram talks about the Murder Weekly magazine which telling the story of murder. It is famous among servants of the city not because they want to kill the master. But this cheap magazine prevents them to do such things. May be it is strategy of Goverment. Who knows ? 

"to exist in perpetual servitude; a servitude so strong that you can put the key of his emancipation in a man’s hands and he will throw it back at you with a curse." 

The inferior complex deeply rooted in the lower class people. It reveled how class disparity is so wide. Like in "Waiting for Godot" Pozzo can't leave his master, though he is blind, similarly here it works.

"The dreams of the rich, and the dreams of the poor—they never overlap, do they? See, the poor dream all their lives of getting enough to eat and looking like the rich. And what do the rich dream of? Losing weight and looking like the poor."

Throughout the novel this kind of small statments, incidents, and anecdotes are reveling the wide gulf between rich and poor. Putting us on lasting question without answer. 

"Sleep in the day and then work all night, until two, three, four, five o’clock, depending, because their masters are on the other side of the world, in America."

This dialouge take us to the present scenario and the world of Consumerism. America is super-power and that is why controlling the world and it's economy. It can be told that due to technological empowerment and intellectual minds they are ruling. 

"Yes, Ashok! That’s what I call myself these days. Ashok Sharma, North Indian entrepreneur, settled in Bangalore."

Now, the question arises in my mind while reading this is that, Why Balram chooses the same name ? But I think Ashok is the one who made him aware about buisness world, treated him as human. Somewhere, he has the ability to satrt buisness which is laking in Ashok. That would be the reason.

"I’ll say it was all worthwhile to know, just for a day, just for an hour, just for a minute, what it means not to be a servant. "

This second last lines reveal the mentle state of Balram. Though, he chooses the wrong path for becoming rich, Is there any other way for him? If he would be honest driver, will he be rich ? 

This ambiguous ending leads us to so many new question. The novel has so many more things apart from which I highlighted. The essence of Darkness of India is very well captured here. 

Indeed worth reading book. 

Thank you. 

References :

Adiga, Aravind. The White Tiger: Booker Prize Winner 2008. HarperCollins Publishers India, 2010.

“ASER 2018 : More than half of children enrolled in Class 5 can read at least a standard 2 level text.” Hindustan Times, 16 January 2019, https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/aser-2018-more-than-half-of-children-enrolled-in-class-5-can-read-at-least-a-standard-2-level-text/story-NMDvefZYbjggcGtx3cDBAI.html. Accessed 25 February 2024.

Nair, Ninu. “The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga: Book Cover Designs.” Bookishloom, 27 April 2020, https://bookishloom.wordpress.com/2020/04/27/the-white-tiger-by-aravind-adiga-a-letter-to-the-book-cover-a2z-challenge/. Accessed 25 February 2024.

Existentialism

Existentialism 

This blog is part of Flipped learning-bridge course on Existentialism. 

What is Flipped Learning?

Flipped Learning is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group pace is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter. (Flipped Learning Network (FLN))

For detailed undersatnding visit this link  : Flipped Learning Network

For detailed information of bridge couurse visit teacher's blog  : Existentialism: Video Resources

Thoughts that I like the most : 

Video 1

In the first video I am impressed by this thoughts.

Individuality, passion, and freedom are three side of the triangle. Among them our idea of existance is lied.

Video 2

In the second video I am impressed by these thoughts.

Basically the idea of existentilaist is meaninglessness of life and for being free from this cyclic nature one must do physical or philosophical suicide. However, Camus argues that it is the not only way.

When you #think, then you find #absurdity. Thinking is the basic thing.

Second thought is about three belief. Absence of hope, rejection, and conscious dissatisfaction all these three lead to philosophical death.

Video 3

In the third video I am impressed by this thoughts.

Like suicide God changes with the man. 

There are many ways of leaping. The essential being to leap. 

Video 4

In the forth video I am impressed by this thoughts.

Dadaism is the movement that questioned the value whereas, Existentialism is making you aware who you are. 

Nietzsche considered Dadists creators more than lawbreakers.

Video 5

In the fifth video I am impressed by this thoughts.

Choice is everything. One should do chice of their own. It's not completing their all the responsibilty and consequences connected with one's choice also taken by oneself.

 

Existentialism is response to emptiness. The absurd is rebelion for the time.

Video 6

In the sixth video I am impressed by this thoughts.

Nihilism is the loss of individuality. It is hard to escape the temptation of suicide. Positivity is the only way. Existentialism is all about making the meanings in the life. 

Video 7

In the seventh video I am impressed by this thoughts.

The idea of Human condition, why I am here ? what does it mean to be human ? how should I live my life ? all this questions lead to absurdity. It rejects all encompassing systems. 

Another thought is we need human perspective to look at human condition not divine perspective. 

Nietzsche's idea od becoming Who you are- creating meanings, purpose, and value for one's self. 

Video 8

In the eighth video I am impressed by this thoughts.

It is most intresting video for me, teaching KG students about the idea of existantialism and Nietzsche is Hurculean effort.  Individuality is at the centre and that ctrates space for choice. Nietzsche's Ubermensch or overman idea is based upon autonomy of making decision. 

Video 9

In the ninth video I am impressed by this thoughts.

This video is quite intresting.

Existentialism helps people to understand surroundings in a better way. It provides serious inttlectual as well as acceptance. 

Existentialism is about honesty to look at the absurdity and accept it. Morover by defualt one learn rebalious way of thinking.  

I like this the most because it is applicable.

Top 10 Things You can do to Live more Existentially

#10: Question what you've been told 

#9: _Start relating to the big picture

#8: Honor life's difficult experiences

#7: Lay claim to your power in life

#6: See how free you can be 

# 5: Learn to live with passion

 #4: Inhabit the present moment

 #3: Recover the ability to play

# 2: Build responsible community

#1: Remember that you're born to a brilliant and terrifying universe...

Video 10

In the tenth video I am impressed by this thoughts.

Learning outcome : 

With this activity my understanding of Existentialism has increased or is there clarity about this philosophy in my mind.

As in the traditinal classroom environmrnt different and diverse areas could not be covered. By watching this videos and reading the resourses my thinkiing became clear about the area. With the help of visuals the concept is better understood. The main figures of the movements also stored in the mind with their images. I got the deeper knowledge of the concept and multiple connected movements as well like Nihilism, Essencialism, dadism and their connection with it. 

Questions : 

1. In the video 2, the distinction is made between conscious dissatisfaction leading to philosophical suicide and immature unrest. How can one differentiate between the two?

2. In Video #3, they discussed whether failure reveals the existence of transcendence or the divine. Is it right to believe that there is something like the divine or a higher power? Nietzsche mentioned that absurdity is god, and the inability to understand becomes existence. Then, he is saying that nothing logically prepares the reasoning. What does he mean?

3. In Video-6, Hermann Hesse, in "Der Steppenwolf," talks about, "At twenty, we rage against the heavens and the filth they hide; then we grow tired of it. The tragic attitude suits only an extended and ridiculous puberty." What does it mean? Does it reveal that with time, we accept absurdity or nihilism?

4. In Video-7, Aristotle said that humans could choose to act in accordance with their nature. On the contrary, humans were not free to create a unique essence for themselves. Why? Some argue that essence is predetermined, and we have to act accordingly. On the other hand, some argue that it is developed by the individual. What is the right way?

5. In the Video 10, Why are they rejecting this, "Since there's no teleology, the world wasn't created for a reason, and it doesn't exist for a reason"? What could be the purpose of denying the reason?why there is nothing like reason, they are similarly denying justice, order, and rules. ? 

6. In the Video-10, What is Sartre's concept of painful freedom? He stated that freedom forces us to design our own moral code. Why did Sartre assert that we are condemned to be free?

Trend and Movements

Trends and Movements 

Hello, 

This blog is part of thinking activity task of Trends and Movements. In this blog my own works are attached which are done as classroom activity task.

What is the meaning of literary trend ? 

In literature, a trend is a popular style or theme at a certain time. It could be about romance, reality, or experimenting with writing. Trends show the influence of culture, society, or politics and affect what writers create. For example, in the post world war era there was a rise of new trends like breaking of the tradition, creating anti-art. 

   

L.H.O.O.Q. is a work of art by Marcel Duchamp. First conceived in 1919, the work is one of what Duchamp referred to as readymades, or more specifically a rectified ready-made. Fountain is a readymade sculpture by Marcel Duchamp in 1917, consisting of a porcelain urinal signed. This both works are the examples of trends in art. 

What is the meaning of literary movements ? 

A literary movement is a group of writers who work together and share similar goals. They have a clear philosophy or agenda and actively promote their shared vision of literature. For examples Romanticism, Beat Generation, or Surrealism, where writers explore specific themes, styles, or ideas that make their work stand out in a particular time.

In the modern time many movements like expressionism, surrealism, stream of consciousness, modernism, post-modernism, dadaism etc. took place. 

This PPT is prepared as Introductory presentation which covers all the trends and movements.

Trends and Movemrnts.pptx from DhatriParmar

 

Modernism : 

Modernist literature started in the late 1800s and early 1900s in Europe and North America. It's when writers intentionally changed how they usually wrote in both poems and stories, breaking away from the usual styles.

World War I was really distructive(1914-1919). It made writers and artists feel hurt and angry, leading to a new way of writing and creating art called Modernism. These writers felt let down by the institutions they trusted, thinking they caused a terrible war. So, instead of relying on these institutions, they started looking inside themselves for answers about life.

Modernism was influenced by Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud,  and Friedrich Nietzsche. 

1. Modernist writers were influenced by such thinkers as Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx, amongst others, who raised questions about the rationality of the human mind.
2. Marked by a strong and intentional break with tradition. This break includes a strong reaction against established religious, political, and social views
3. A central preoccupation of Modernism is with the inner self and consciousness.
4. The Modernist cares little for Nature, Being, or the overarching structures of history
5. The “unreliable” narrator supplanted the omniscient, trustworthy narrator of preceding centuries, and readers were forced to question even the most basic assumptions about how the novel should operate.
6. There is no such thing as absolute truth. All things are relative.

Post-modernism :

Postmodernism is a late 20th-century movement in philosophy and literary theory that generally questions the basic assumptions of Western philosophy in the modern period.

Postmodern philosophy is characterized by broad skepticism or relativism and a general suspicion of reason. It also broadly asserts that Western intellectual and cultural norms and values are a product of, or are in some sense influenced by, the ideology of dominant or elite groups and at least indirectly serve their interests.

Difference Between Modernism and Postmodernism in Literature :

Surrealism :  

Guillaume Apollinaire used the word "surrealist" in 1917 to talk about a ballet and later in his own play. Then, André Breton used the term in a big statement he wrote in 1924. He said it means expressing thoughts without control from reason or worrying about how things look or what's right or wrong. Over time, the word "surreal" became common, and in 1967, it got into the dictionary, meaning something that feels like a crazy dream.

In this pencil sketch,there is surreal art. From the beginning of the world, the first species on the earth as researchers determined that was likely a comb jelly, or ctenophore. All this come out from human mind irrespective of gender. The lines in the sketch showing bondage of the world around everything.

Absurdism : 

Absurdism means the internal conflict between human tendency to find the inherent value and the meaning of life and his inability to find any. In this the seminal work is Wating for Godot by Samuel Beckett published in 1953. In this painting the central symbolism taken into consideration. 

The Art of  Existense :

Absurdism is all about finding happiness and meaning in the existance. Spider does monotonus work of making web. However, this work is for his existence, living. It mades web like Sisyphus climbed the mountain with the stone. While looking around absurdity is everywhere, but the question is seeking meaning and happiness within it. 

Dadaism : 

Dada happened because of the of World War I. People saw the destruction and wondered how anything good could come out of it. They questioned how to find meaning in a world where young men full of hope were killed. The aftermath was harsh - blinded and disfigured soldiers on the streets. In response, one bitter voice emerged, saying, "Everything is nonsense."

Dada is the art of the nihilist. It smashes accepted wisdom, challenges norms and values, and offends, upsets, and provokes us to re-examine everything.

Dada is intended to shock. It’s an artistic jolt asking, or demanding, that the viewers reorient themselves in some way. It is designed to make us feel uncomfortable and does not make for easy appreciation. It’s only when we’re thrown so drastically outside of our comfort zone in this way that Dada asks us to question how things are. It shakes us out of a conformist stupor to look afresh at things.

Dada Paper Collage Art : 

AS Dada art I prepared paper collage art.

The use of diverse and seemingly unrelated images in Dada art often reflects a rejection of traditional values and an embrace of chaos and absurdity. In a Dada collage, the combination of elements may be intentionally random or create a sense of disorientation.

• Social Commentary: The inclusion of political figures like Trump and Nirmala Sitaraman, along with images related to the military, budget, and barcode stickers, might suggest a commentary on political or economic issues.
• Environmental Concerns: Images of trees, a submarine, and a turtle could hint at ecological themes or concerns about the impact of human activities on the environment.
• Cultural Diversity: The inclusion of images related to India (temple, bears) may highlight cultural diversity or comment on cultural exchange.
• Contrast and Conflict: The juxtaposition of seemingly opposite elements like flowers and guns, butterflies and army men, may convey a sense of conflict or contrast between beauty and violence.
• Consumerism and Technology: Elements like a necklace, flowers, barcode stickers, and budget could touch on themes related to consumerism, technology, and the commodification of nature.
• {I used ChatGPT for explanation, provided it detailed explanation of collage and ask for evaluate themes. }

Dada Poetry : 

 As Dada art I aslo prepared Dada poetry.

Woman falls into Patriarchal World

or Gamble Bilkis Bano case

To See Life As An Infinite

બચત

BUDGET 2024 सज धज के PRESENTS

Unfounded

fears of Exceptional growth

Taught. But Thought?

The juxtaposition of words like "Woman falls into Patriarchal World" and "Gamble Bilkis Bano case" suggests a theme related to gender dynamics or societal challenges. "To See Life As An Infinite" could imply a broader perspective, while the use of different scripts and languages (Gujarati, Hindi) adds to the eclectic nature of Dada poetry.

The inclusion of "બચત" (savings in Gujarati), "BUDGET 2024 सज धज के PRESENTS," and "Unfounded fears of Exceptional growth" introduces elements related to finance, budgeting, and possibly societal expectations. The phrase "Taught. But Thought?" might suggest a contrast between conventional learning and individual reflection.

In Dada poetry, meaning often emerges from the unexpected connections between words and images rather than following a linear structure. Each reader may interpret it differently, finding personal associations or emotions in the seemingly disparate elements.

So how would you interpret this ? Share your views in the comment section.

Thank you.

Words : 1590

Images : 11

Video : 1

References :

Campos, Manuel, and Jose Manuel. “A Guide to Modernism in Literature.” EnglishPost.org, 6 July 2023, https://englishpost.org/literary-movements-modernism/. Accessed 23 February 2024.

Dorward, Chris. “Difference Between Modernism and Postmodernism in Literature | Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms.” Differencebetween.com, 26 June 2018, https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-modernism-and-postmodernism-in-literature/. Accessed 23 February 2024.

Thomson, Jonny. “A canvas of nonsense: how Dada reflects a world gone mad through art.” Big Think, 21 April 2021, https://bigthink.com/high-culture/nonsense-dada-world-mad-art/#Echobox=1644655019. Accessed 23 February 2024.