subject: The White Tiger From Aravind Adiga [print this page] Recently, we have seen a growing breed of Indians who are comfortable with their vertical growth and are of aggressively consumerist mindset. Thats the reason why the term New India has been coined to explain that we have two Indias existing at the same time, one is stock market driven and the other is called the Darkness by the writer Aravind Adiga. The book The White Tiger (ISBN-13: 9788172238476) is definitely not India shining, it is more about a country and some of its citizens who are in complete awe of their own success.
The Old India Still Suffers
In the book The White Tiger (ISBN-13: 9788172238476) the old India still coughs, suffers, limps and splutters as it has always does, and one of six Indians still suffer under the towering shadow of insurgency. The farmers who still dont have any access to irrigation and go through the heart wrenching experience of seeing their crops fail still commit suicide. There are about 300 million Indians who are still not sure about the source of their next meal.
Razor Sharp Language
The razor sharp language of Aravind Adiga is incisive and witty at the same time, and clearly shows the realities of life as inhabitants of one work with and then clash with one of the inhabitants of the other India. The protagonist of the book is Balram Halwai who says he is not an original thinker, rather he is an original listener.
Balram Has An Armoury
He comes from the rural background which is still home to the 70% population of the country. Balram Halwai, despite his background, has an armoury, he is resourceful, cunning and gritty. He has an ambition, he wants to escape to the New India. He succeeds and pays the price for it. From his start up company office in Bengaluru, he writes seven letters to the visiting Chinese premier, who is going to visit India and Balram Halwai fears he will only see the New India. Halwai is keen to tell him about the India that he knows will not be shown to the premier.
Dark Comic Possibilities
All the dark comic possibilities are brilliantly exploited by Aravind Adiga and the truth, as it turns out, is fantastic and shocking at the same time. The voice of Halwai comes across as self mocking, persuasive and compelling.
Well Controlled Pace
The pace of the book The White Tiger is well controlled in the opening and middle sections though it slackens somewhat in the end. The author Aravind Adiga is skillful in tackling this complicated and urgent subject.
