The White
Tiger
by Avarind
Adiga
I
immediately started on another book of which I’d seen the movie and liked, The
White Tiger. This book is a wonderful read. Although I know the story from
the movie, the book gives so much more feel for the main character and his
lowly class culture he emerged from. The book gives readers the bigger picture
of the main character’s dilemma, and I’m sure it makes the shocking murder of blank just a little bit more palatable.
I’m about halfway
through The White Tiger and every time I return to its pages the dialogue
welcomes me back without resentment, like a longtime friend. I expect the book
to be as fulfilling as the one before it.
---------------
Finished
reading The White Tiger. It was so much more than a servant/master, poor man/rich man culture clash. Off the top I give it a six-star billing (five being the most).
I caught myself
becoming Balram the servant, seeing the wealthy life from a poor-poor man’s
view. I learned as he learned what it meant to be at the bottom of Indian
society and what it would take to climb out.
Of all that
Balram had to endure as a servant, I would think living with the thought of
being responsible for the assassination of possibly his entire family
(grandparents, mother, siblings, cousins, babies) would turn him into a madman
or a monster. Who but a mad/monster can live with something as haunting as that
on their conscience.
Is it poverty
that drives a man to madness or is it seeing the corruption of powerful and wealthy
citizens you once thought honorable who disturbed your peace and influenced
your murderous thoughts.
So, what was
it I liked about Balram and the story itself? I like how he took the reader on
a journey of his life. He showed exactly who he was and where he came from, showed
the cause and effects of his transformation, and summarized exactly how he
viewed the newly made Balram; he was The White Tiger. One who comes along, every
once in a while, and seizes the opportunity to lift himself out of the jungle
of poverty by any means necessary.
The story is
not one for the faint of heart. It shows the ugly underbelly of how things are
done in countries like India. Money is the language of power and success.
Having money and knowing whose political palm to grease to continue making more
money.
I also like
how the story showed no difference in one political party in power versus the
other. Whoever is in power will require their palm greased by those with money seeking
favor. As for the poor and the working man, the politician keeps making
promises until elected or re-elected into office. Then nothing changes accept
possibly the politician whose palm needs greasing.
Far from
this book being depressing or sad, it is an eye-opener to those who think
poverty in India a social problem. It is a political problem. And it is acceptable
to those in poverty and those in power. It's just how things work in a country
like India.
I suppose
the powerful know the age-old adage “there is no wealthy class without a poor
class.”
And its why
the wealthy fear Socialism so much. Who but a wealthy man would see his brother
dying in the gutter of a slum so that he can live in comfort. Capitalism!
The White
Tiger is an engaging, educational read. To have a narrator like Balram lead you
through his growing pains from servant to master is stimulating. Not only is it
engaging to hear how he accomplishes it, its disturbingly mesmerizing to hear him tell it.
Murder!
I’m sure
that many who have read this book couldn’t get into the narration and thoughts
of a lowly servant. They probably had a tough time seeing the forest from the
trees. I recommend when reading The White Tiger, one envisions what it is to
live in total poverty. Then, when reading about the murderous actions Balram has
planned, think of what it is to escape such a lowly and filthy place as poverty.
There is where the rubber meets the road, and one chooses how he wishes to live
life. In India, there is but one choice for a White Tiger. He must feed, as the
jungle requires, in order to survive and thrive.
The Jungle
Creed
Is that the
Strongest Feed
On any Prey
it can
And I was Branded
Beast
At every
Feast
Before I
ever became a Man
- Deep Cover, Lawrence Fishburn
- Whoreson by Donald Goins (an iceberg slim story)
