![]() Key Details Author: Aravind Adiga Genre: Novel Goodreads: Link Balram; the white tiger is someone born to a village in poverty. He escapes his circumstances to become a driver to a landowning family. During this period he sees how the other side of India lives and begins to yearn for it and comes to the realization that its not possible to break free without taking some drastic action The novel reminded me of a typical Dickensian hero like Pip in great expectations where he leaves the countryside to seek his fortune in the city overcoming the many obstacles in his path. In this case, instead of Victorian England, the novel is set in India during a period of transformation towards becoming a more globalized society and the clash it causes with its past traditions and norms. Like pip, the character in the novel who is nicknamed as a 'white Tiger' is identified as an exceptional individual who has to make hard choices if he is to escape the cycle of poverty his social status would have confined him to. The novel is an easy read and while the intent of the author who is writing about some that is not his lived experience, it raises some interesting issues that are worth thinking about. Would recommend reading it. Quotes “You, young man, are an intelligent, honest, vivacious fellow in this crowd of thugs and idiots. In any jungle, what is the rarest of animals—the creature that comes along only once in a generation?” I thought about it and said: “The white tiger.”“That’s what you are, in this jungle.” - the school inspector revealing Balram's true nature "I‘m always a man who sees ‘tomorrow’ when others see ‘today.’" - The White Tiger Do we loathe our masters behind a facade of love - or do we love them behind a facade of loathing?
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AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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December 2023
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