November 2008 Host: Nancy

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Summary

In this novel set in India, Balram Halwai writes a series of letters to the Premier of China (in anticipation of his visit) over a week’s time describing his childhood as being desperately poor (in the darkness) and his transformaation into becoming rich or emerging into the light. He writes about his days as a hardworking boy in a small village controlled by crooked and powerful landlords. He comes to Delhi to become a driver for one of those landlord’s westernized sons and eventually sees societal inequities that turn him into a bloodthirsty killer. As a driver, Balram begins to understand the relationship between a master and a servant. When his master’s wife gets drunk and runs over and kills a child, they arrange for Balram to take the blame for the accident. It is shocking to nearly every westernized person that Balram’s family was very proud that he would do such a thing for his master. Millions of people in India are poor and slave for the rich for a pittance. The question posed here is what would happen to one of those that are destined to be poor and a slave all of their lives if they killed his master, took his money, and ran. India is referred to as a rooster coop, Indians are packed tightly and pecking each other, they do not rebel or try to leave the coop. Only a handful of men have taught 99.9 percent to exist in perpetual servitude. This book won the 2008 Man Booker prize.

Discussion

-Everyone enjoyed this book, it was a different experience for most of us in that it was darkly comedic, some parts were sordid, of questionable morality, and we actually rooted for a vicious killer who was a bit of a psychopath. This book put some of us into a world we knew nothing about - an India of light, where few live but are served by many, and an India of darkness, where many toil endlessly and are devoid of any hope.

-Balram was nicknamed the White Tiger because it represents one who is smart and different from the darkness. It is here that we learn the extent of corruption - their primary school teacher sells the school supplies and uniforms on the black market rather than give these items to the children. The teacher justifies this in that he doesn’t get paid enough from the government. Corruption is rife at every level, policemen and even fingerprints for votes can be bought.

-The author did a very good job in making the reader feel as if they were in present day India.- from being bullied by a lizard in school to the conversations of the clusters of chauffeurs waiting for their masters to finish shopping in malls they themselves were not allowed into.

-Balram quotes one of his favorite muslim poets who says this about slavery: “They remain slaves because they can’t see what is beautiful in this world.” Balram claims he can see what is beautiful and that is a predictor for his destiny not to remain a slave.

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