Hello! Everyone. I am Nirali Makvana. Here I am sharing the group presentation of the text " The White Tiger " by Aravind Adiga. The list of the students who prepared the presentation is given in the slides. Please visit the presentation and if you like the presentation don't forget to click on like button. Thank you...

1. I
1
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavangar University
Department of English
Group Activity
On The White Tiger

2. Rita Dabhi
Komal
Jadav
Asha
Dhedhi
Nishtha
Makwana
Nirali
Makvana
Ravina
Parmar

3. Content
● About the author
● Major Works by Aravind Adiga
● About the Text
● Major Characters
● Minor Characters
● Setting of the Novel
● Historical Context of the Novel
● Synopsis of the Novel
● Thematic Study of Novel
● Symbols used in Novel
● Movie Adaptation of The White Tiger
● Learning Outcome - How Literature Shaped Me?
● Search for Qualitative Resources

4. ❏Aravind Adiga
● Born : 23 October 1974 in Madras.
● He is an Indian writer and journalist.
● Won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in
2008.
● He studied English Literature at Columbia
University, New York, and gained an
M.Phil. at Magdalen College, Oxford.

5. ❏Continue…..
● His articles have appeared in publications
such as the New Yorker, the Sunday Times,
the Financial Times, and the Times of India.

6. ❏Works :

7. ❏Short stories :
● "The Sultan's Battery", 2008
● "Smack", 2008
● "Last Christmas in Bandra", 2008
● "The Elephant” 2009

8. ❖Citation
● “Aravind Adiga.” Aravind Adiga - Official Site,
www.aravindadiga.com/.
● Mudde, Raggi. “Aravind Adiga: Author: Booker Prize: The
White Tiger: Personalities.” Karnataka.com, 22 Feb. 2016,
www.karnataka.com/personalities/aravind-adiga/.

9. About The Text “ The White Tiger
● Author : Arvind Adiga
● Written : 2005- 2008
● Published : 2008
● Setting : Modern India
● Point of view : First Person
● Literary period : Contemporary
● Genre : Picaresque Novel

10. Continue…
● Won the 40th Man Booker Prize in 2008
● The novel examines issues of the Religion, Caste,
Loyalty, Corruption and Poverty in India
● Adiga says that his novel…
“ Attempts to catch the voice of the men you meet as
you travel through India - the voice of the colossal
underclass ”

11. Balram Halwai
❖ Servant, Philosopher, Entrepreneur and Murderer
❖ Narrator and Protagonist of the novel
❖ Describe his journey from the rural village of Laxmangahr to
living the life of a successful businessman in Banglore
❖ He takes it upon himself to tell Jiabao, the truth about
entrepreneurialism in his country by using himself as an
example
❖ In order to survive in modern India, he has chosen to live on
his own terms

12. Continue…
❖ He wants to complicate his education
“That’s the one good thing I’ll say for myself. I’ve
always been a big believer in education—especially my
own.” ( pg 31)
❖ As he himself says…
I'm always a man who sees “tomorrow” when others
see
“today” (pg 192)

13. Mr. Ashok
❖ The Stork’s son
❖ Balram’s master
❖ Who recently returned from America
❖ Milder personality compared to his wealthy and
entitled family members
❖ He becomes increasingly decadent and goes into
something of a downward spiral after his wife, Pinky
Madam leaves him & goes back to America
❖ Murdered at rainy night

14. Pinky Madam
❖ Ashok’s wife
❖ Unhappy in India
❖ After killing a young child in a hit - and - run
accident, she return back to America
❖ Modern woman of dark India
❖ Find a way to be free from all stereotypical social
values

15. Kusum
❖ Balram’s grandmother
❖ As Balram sees it, Kusum is completely dominated by
the logic of the rooster coop : she has struggled her
whole life to survive under the burden of such great
oppression
❖ One who is ready to compromise Balram’s future

16. Wen Jiabao
❖ The Chinese Premier to whom Balram addresses his
letter and narrates his life story
❖ Interested into knowing about entrepreneurship
❖ Invisible Character
Kishan
❖ Balram’s older brother
❖ Fatherly figure in Balram’s life
❖ One who cares for Balram

17. Vikram Halwai
❖ Balram’s Father
❖ Poor and illiterate rickshaw puller
❖ Fight to provide his best for his son
❖ Try to fulfill his wife's wish
❖ He wants one of his son who will be able to live like a
man
➢ Balram’s mother dies when he is a young boy
➢ Though she is a minor figure in the background of his
life
➢ Her wish is to educate his son Balram

18. The Stork
❖ One of the four landlord's of Laxmangahr
❖ Father of Mr. Ashok and Mukesh Sir
❖ He owns the river outside of Laxmangahr and taxes
any villager who fishes there or boats across it
❖ The bulk of his family's fortune, however comes from
the illegal sale of coal from government mines.
❖ He distributes generous bribes to political officials
who turn a blind eye to his fraudulent dealing and
allow him to evade income tax

19. Ram Persad
❖ The Stork’s “ Number One ” family servant
❖ Who drives luxurious Honda City ( name of car)
❖ One, who hide his identity, family background, caste to
get job
❖ Actually he is a Muslim
Dharam
➢Balram’s young cousin
➢Whom Kusum sends Delhi for Balram to mentor
➢Balram continuing to care for the young boy

20. The Mongoose Vijay
❖ Ashok's Brother
❖ Willingly participate in
corrupt dealings
❖ Regularly visit Delhi to
help Ashok distribute
bribes on schedule
❖ Gives comfort to Ashok in
his loneliness
❖ Balram's personal hero
❖ Bus driver, then
political activist and
finally a prominent
official in the great
Socialist’s party
❖ (As Balram suggests is
more likely, corrupt
dealings with politicians

21. Vitiligo - Lips
❖ The driver of another wealthy businessman
❖ Attempts to help to Balram(adjust to Delhi)
❖ Helps Balram procure a prostitute & begin to
cheat Mr. Ashok out of his money

22. Ram Bahadur / the Nepali
❖ A Cruel Nepali Servant
❖ One who helped Ram Persad to hide his Muslim
identity
❖ He is blackmailed into making Balram head driver
after Balram discovers that Ram Bahadur must
have kept Ram Persad’s secret 🤐

23. Minor Characters
➢The Wild Boar
➢The Buffalo
➢The Raven
➢Mr. Krishna
➢Ms. Uma
➢Dilip
➢The Minister's Assistant
➢Anastasia
➢The Inspector
➢Muslim Bookseller
➢Mohammad Asif
➢Balram's Family (
countless aunts, uncles,
cousins, nieces, nephews
living in Laxmangahr)

24. ❏Synopsis of the novel
➢According to Robbie Goh The White Tiger is story of
how a “rural yokal… becomes savvy businessman ”
(333)
➢The entire novel is narrated through letters written
by Balram Halwai to the Premier of China, who will
soon be visiting India
➢He was born in the village of Laxmangharh

25. ➢The village is
dominated and
oppressed by the four
landlords
1. The Wild Boar
2. The Stork
3. The Buffalo
4. The Raven
“All four of the Animals
lived in high-walled
mansions just outside
Laxmangarh—the
landlords' quarters. They
had their own temples
inside the mansions, and
their own wells and ponds,
and did not need to come
out into the village except
to feed. “ (Pg 16)

26. ➢Name (Balram Halwai - White tiger)
➢Balram leaves the village and learns driving
➢Finally get a job as Mr. Ashok driver
➢Master - Slave narrative
Example of Hanuman and Rama
Balram - Mr. Ashok - Ram Persad - The Stork
Politicians - government - Poor people etc

27. ➢Pinky madam kills a child and everyone
forced to Balram to take all the blames
➢Balram watch his employers bribe officials
➢Balram realized that he has been brainwashed
into servitude
➢Ashok is murdered in middle of novel
➢Balram and Dharam flies to Banglore
➢He becomes a successful businessman in
Banglore

28. Summary of the novel
➢Balram Halwai write a letter to the visiting Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao
➢Tell a story of a car driver to become a successful
businessman
➢Use himself as an example to introduce real
situation of an entrepreneur in India

29. But whenever I see our
prime minister and his distinguished sidekicks drive
to the airport in black cars and get out and
do namastes before you in front of a TV camera and
tell you about how moral and saintly India
is, I have to say that thing in English.
➢ Exciting Tales of the Exotic East, Balram read
about the history of Wen Jiabao in this book
➢Balram admire only three Nations , which are not
ruled by foreigners : China, Afghanistan and
Abyssinia

30. ➢Balram criticized Indian tradition of praying God by
saying that…
See, the Muslims have one god.
The Christians have three gods.
And we Hindus have 36,000,000 gods.
Making a grand total of 36,000,004 divine arses for me to
choose from.
➢Portrait of media
➢Two sides of India : Light & Darkness

31. Your Excellency, that India is two
countries
in one: an India of Light, and an
India of Darkness. The ocean
brings light to my country. Every
place on the map of India near the
ocean is well off. But the river
brings darkness to India—the
black river.
➢ According to Robbie Goh it
is how a
“ rural yokal… becomes
savvy businessman ” (333).

32. One of interview this question is asked to Arvind Adiga…
In the novel, you write about the binary nature of Indian
culture: the Light and the Darkness and how the caste
system has been reduced to "Men with Big Bellies and Men
with Small Bellies." Would you say more about why you think
the country has come to be divided into these categories?
It's important that you see these classifications as Balram's rather
than as mine. I don't intend for the reader to identify all the time
with Balram: some may not wish to identify with him very much at
all. The past fifty years have seen tumultuous changes in India's
society, and these changes -- many of which are for the better --
have overturned the traditional hierarchies, and the old securities
of life. A lot of poorer Indians are left confused and perplexed by
the new India that is being formed around them.

33. ➢Broken the very idea of purity of Ganga ( river)
I urge you not to dip in the Ganga, unless you want
your mouth full of feces,
straw, soggy parts of human bodies, buffalo carrion, and
seven different kinds of industrial acids
➢ Death ceremony
➢ Master - servant relationship
Example of Hanuman and Rama
Balram - Mr. Ashok - Ram Persad - The Stork -
Politicians - government - Poor people etc

34. ➢Name
No one have a time to give their child a proper
name
Balram got a name from his school teacher
➢Leaving a school from early age
Balram's grandmother force him to leave his
school and she wants to send him at tea shop
Balram started to work at tea shop and starts to
listening every customer

35. ➢Choice and conditions of family
Balram wants to learn driving but his grandmother
put a condition that all the earnings of his work he
have to send it for his family
➢Situation of Driver
The Stork doesn't care about their servants,
Servants have to work not only the work of that
for their hires but they have to do all kind of
works as their masters want

36. One thing at the heart of this novel, and in the
heart of Balram as well, is the tension between
loyalty to oneself and to one's family. Does this
tension mirror a conflict specific to India, or do
you think it's universal?
The conflict may be more intense in India, because
the family structure is stronger here than in, say,
America, and loyalty to family is virtually a test of
moral character. (So, "You were rude to your mother
this morning" would be, morally, the equivalent of
"You embezzled funds from the bank this morning.")
The conflict is there, to some extent, everywhere.

37. ➢Image of Delhi
The capital of our glorious nation. The seat of
Parliament, of the president, of all ministers and
prime ministers. The pride of our civic planning. The
showcase of the republic.
That's what they call it.
Let a driver tell you the truth. And the truth is that
Delhi is a crazy city.

38. ➢Caste, Joblessness and identity
Ram Persad hide his identity
The Stork don't like Muslim
Ram Persad is a Muslim
➢Corruption, Power , Money, Government
☘ The Stork family doing all the illegal works
☘Without paying Tex
☘Give money to politicians and to government
for hide their illegal work of coals
☘Many facilities are there in Laxmangahr as per
government’s document but reality is different

39. ➢Murder mystery and Success
Balram killed Mr. Ashok and run away with
Dharam
Settled in Banglore
There he started his work white tiger driver
Balram become successful businessman with fear
Shameless for his doing
“I’ll never say I made a mistake that night in
Delhi when I slit my master's throat”

40. ❏Setting of the Novel
❖ “The White Tiger” takes place in modern - day -
India
❖ Laxmangharh
❖ Dhanbad
❖ Banglore
❖ Delhi

41. Historical context of the novel
The White Tiger takes place in modern day India, but
Balram traces the socioeconomic inequality with
which he struggles back to 1947 : the year India
gained its independence from Britain through the
Indian Independence Act
The white tiger tells the story of those left behind in
the midst of India's rapid economic rise

42. ● Al-Dagamseh, Abdullah M. "Adiga's The White Tiger as World Bank Literature." CLCWeb:
Comparative Literature and Culture, vol. 15, no. 6, 2013.
● BookBrowse. "The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga: Summary and Reviews." BookBrowse.com,
www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/2119/the-white-tiger.
● GradeSaver. "The White Tiger Summary." Study Guides & Essay Editing | GradeSaver, 24 July
2020, www.gradesaver.com/the-white-tiger/study-guide/summary.
● Sreelatha, M. Existential Struggle And Globalization: The White Tiger by Adiga. 14 Apr. 2017,
ashvamegh.net/existential-struggle-in-the-white-tiger/.
● SAHOO, D. S. (2017). ARVIND ADIGA’S THE WHITE TIGER: REPRESENTING INDIA. SMART
MOVES JOURNAL IJELLH , 5(4), 7. Retrieved from
https://www.ijellh.com/OJS/index.php/OJS/article/view/1929
● The Secret of His Success (Published 2008)." The New York Times - Breaking News, US News,
World News and Videos, 7 Nov. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/11/09/books/review/Kapur-t.html.
● "The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga Plot Summary." LitCharts, www.litcharts.com/lit/the-white-
tiger/summary.
● "The White Tiger Character Analysis." LitCharts, www.litcharts.com/lit/the-white-tiger/characters.
● [08/02, 10:42 am] Komal: Young, Victoria. Novel about India Wins the Man Booker Prize. 15 Oct.
2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/world/europe/15booker.html.
Work Cited

43. A literary theme is the main idea or underlying meaning a writer
explores in a novel, short story, or other literary work. The theme
of a story can be conveyed using characters, setting, dialogue,
plot, or a combination of all of these elements.
“The Artist’s perception and Interpretation of Life”
(From ‘Imitation and Theme’ by
Bruce Harkness)
What is Theme ?🤔

44. What is theme ? 🤔

45. Globalization
● ‘The White Tiger’ explores the modern world were increase use of
technology led to the world globalization.
● India as the fastest booming economies.
● Americanization in India.
● Possitive and negative effect of globalization.
● Increased market for Indian Resources (Coal, IT Services and Call
Center
“Today it’s the modernist suburb of Delhi.
American Express, Microsoft, all the big
American companies have offices there. The
main road is full of shopping malls—each
mall has a cinema inside! So if Pinky Madam
missed America, this was the best place to
bring her”. (Balram Halwai - Pg 70)

46. “There is no water in our taps and what you people in Delhi give us?
You give us Cell Phones. The Cell Phone is fascinating because it has
always held up in India as a sign of progress”(Balram Pg 162)
● Exemplify the transition of Globalization
● Commodification in Globalized world
● ‘Women are treated like items of exchange, a form of currency and
also a type of commodity’ (Joseph Lison in Conceputalizing a
Globalized Space: Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger)
“I don’t know. My master’s daughter works in one of those buildings too.
I drop her off at eight o’ clock and she comes back at two in the morning.
I know she makes pots and pots of money in that building, because she
spends it all day in the malls. (One Driver in 'The White Tiger Pg 74)

47. Theme of Existential Struggle
● Balram's Struggle against the world of big bellies
● Pro-capitalist and Free market policies: As a Threat to Poor Class's
existence
● City Life: Transformational matrix for Balaram
● On this journey of Balram, we encounter, different concepts of
existentialism like freedom of choice and responsibility, search for
identity, facticity and transcendence, authenticity, alienation,
individualism and Dasein
“He suffers from an endless
existential crisis from which
there is no escape.” (Sangeeta
“A Study Of Aravind Adiga’s
The White Tiger”,

48. ● Balaram Halwai as Self declared 'Self-made Entrepreneur’
● Journey from Rags to Riches
● “The Devil, according to the Muslims, was once God's
sidekick, until he fought with Him and went freelance.”
(Pg 53)
● Manager as well as manipulator
● “...our nation, though it has no drinking water, electricity,
sewage system, public transportation, sense of hygiene,
discipline, courtesy, or punctuality does have
entrepreneurs. Thousands and thousands of them.” (Pg 5)
● Entrepreneur are made from half-baked clay
An entrepreneur is a person who is willing and able to
convert a new idea or invention into a successful innovation.”

49. ● “I am not a sentimental man, Mr. Jiabao
Entrepreneurs can’t afford to be” (Pg 9)
● “My country is the kind where it pays to
play it both ways: the Indian entrepreneur
has to be straight and crooked, mocking
and believing, sly and sincere, at the same
time.” (Pg 7)
● “To break the law of his land- to turn bad
news into good news- is the entrepreneur’s
prerogative.” (Pg 25)
● There’s no reward for entrepreneurship in
most of India Your Excellency. It’s a sad
fact.” (Pg 36)

50. Theme of Corruption
● Commentary on the drawbacks of the Indian democracy,
administrative system, political system, parliamentary democracy
● Blackmailing and corruption by Political Parties
“We have this fucked-up system called parliamentary democracy.
Otherwise we’d be just like China”(The White Tiger Pg 92)
● Politicians and bourgeoisie follow the colonialist tendencies of
exploitative methods.
● Topsy turvy mammon worshipping
● Country paralyzed by corruption
● Every Government institutions like
● Schools, Hospitals, Police,
● Election and Industries are corrupt

51. Evil Election System in India
“I have seen twelve elections – five general, five state, two local –
and someone else has voted for me twelve time. I’ve heard that
people in; the other India get to vote for themselves – isn’t that
something?” (Pg 59)
“These are the three main diseases of this country sir: Typhoid,
Cholera and Election Fever. This last one is the worst.” (Pg 58)
“I am India's most faithful voter and I still have not seen the
inside of a voting booth.” (Pg 60)

52. Novel depicts the new emerging
issues of Post Modern world like…
● Globalization
● Urbanization
● Poor-Rich divide
● Social Disparity
● Technoculture
● Corruption
● Erosion of Human Relations
and Moral Values
Postmodern techniques
of metafiction, dark
humour, parody,
pastiche, binary and
multiple narrative voices
with the prevailing
issues of consumerism,
materialism,
deterioration of moral
values
Postmodernism in
The White Tiger

53. Marxism in The White Tiger
Marx argues that all mental (ideological) systems are the products of real social
and economic existence”
“The jails of Delhi are full of drivers who are there behind bars because they are
taking the blame for their good, solid middle-class masters. We have left the
villages, but the masters still own us, body, soul, and arse”
“India, has never been free. First the Muslims, then the British bossed us
around. In 1947 the British left, but only a moron would think that we are free”
● role of religion in constructing the walls of class division
● Adiga pointing out the new emerging slavery popping out because of have
and haves not

54. “Get down on your knees. Look for it on the floor of the car: I got down on
my knees. I sniffed in between the mats like a dog, all in search of that one
rupee. “What do you mean, it‟s not there? Don‟t think you steal from us just
because you‟re in the city.” (Pg 80)
“Just for a day, Just for an hour and Just for a
minute what it means not to be a servant” (Balram Pg 193)
“But leave a million dollars a million dollars in front of a servant and he
won‟t touch a penny. Try it: leave a black bag with a million dollars in a
Mumbai taxi. The taxi driver will call the
police and return the money by the day‟s end.” (Pg 103)
Hanuman, everyone's favorite god in the Darkness. He was the faithful
servant of the god Rama, and we worship him in our temples because he is a
shining example of how to serve your masters with absolute fidelity, love, and
devotion.” (Pg 13)
Master-
Slave
Relation
and
Inbuilt
Servitude

55. ● Balram describes family as a destructive and
burdensome part of Indian life.
● The rich are similarly burdened by familial
obligation and interference. ( Ashok and
Pinky madam)
● Balram believes that the traditional Indian
family unit keeps the Rooster Coop of social
inequality alive.
● Families loyalty and love become weaknesses
that can stop an individual from being able to
advance.
● Adiga emphasizes the importance of family in
Indian society. “If you’re rude to your mother
in India, it’s a crime as bad as stealing would
be here,” he explains. For Balram to abandon
his family, then, is perhaps his greatest crime.
The value of family in India

56. India is two countries in one: an India of Light, and an India of
Darkness.” (P - 11)
● Depiction of Binary Nature of Indian
Culture
● Two extreme dimension of Modern India :
■ High tech/Rich India and Casteism
and Corruption
■ Urban vs Rural India
“Only two destinies: eat--or get eaten up”
● “ I can’t live the way the Wild Boar and the Buffalo and the River
lived, and probably still live, back in Laxmangarh. I am in the
Light Now.” (p-188)
Double Vision of India in The White Tiger

57. Continue :-
● “ The trustworthiness of servants is the basis of the entire Indian economy.”
(p - 103)
● The circumstances and the Indian society is similar to the Tiger which is
bound and chained in the cage.
● Injustice and inequality in India :
● The discrimination Poor and Rich.
● “ The story of a poor man's life is written on his body, in a sharp pen.” (p-17)
● The education system of India.

58. ● Caste system unjustly segregated India’s population
and restricted social mobility.
● Social status are being determined by economic
status.
● A.J. Sebastian illustrates the still-growing divide
between the high and low classes in India today. In
fact, India has the most hungry people out of every
country in the world, and one-third of the world’s
poor live in India.
● The connection between jobs and casteism in India.
● Halwai is low caste, dictating that he live a life of
servitude.
● Corruption is one of the main reasons for the further void between the classes.
Social Class and Casteism in India

59. Social Class and Casteism in India
‘ To sum up—in the old days there were
one thousand castes and destinies in
India. These days, there are just two
castes: Men with Big Bellies, and Men
with Small Bellies. And only two destinies:
eat—or get eaten up.” ( p- 38 )

60. ● The White Tiger was a book about a man’s quest for freedom.
● The novel records, “The jails of Delhi are full of drivers who are there behind bars
because they are taking the blame for their good, solid middle-class masters. We have left
the villages, but the masters still own us, body, soul, and arse” . (P- 101)
● Here it seems like freedom is not for poor people.
● There is no space for individual choices.
● ― Aravind Adiga
Individualism and Freedom :
Balram cites a poem from the Muslim
poet Iqbal where he talks about slaves
and says “They remain slaves because
they can’t see what is beautiful in this
world.” (p-25)
● Balram sees himself embodying the poem
and being the one who sees the world and
takes it as he rises through the ranks of
society, and in doing so finding his
freedom.
" I was looking for the key for
years but the door was always
open". (P - 160)

61. Symbolic Study of The White Tiger
Cages
“There is a sign in the National Zoo in
New Delhi, near the cage with the
white tiger, which says: Imagine
yourself in the cage.”
● Cage in a Metaphorical sense and
Physical form
● Symbolise Psychological
imprisonment of poor
"I can't live the rest of my life in a
cage (Balram)
● The Dog
● “He is as greedy as pig”
(Grandma)
● Country Mouse
● “I was grinning like a
donkey”
● The White Tiger
Balram's Animalistic Portrayal

62. Symbolic Study of The White Tiger
The Red Bag Honda City
● The symbol of corruption is
repeatedly demonstrated through
the red bag.
“Even if I was to steal it, it
wouldn't be considered
stealing”
● Inner Corruption of Balram
● Symbol of Revolt and Violence
● Symbol of Danger and Courage
● Used 31 time in a novel
● Symbol of Luxurious Life,
Wealth and Richness
● Mirroring towards Status
● Honda City as Dark Egg (4
Time)
“I turned the ignition key
and took the dark egg of the
Honda City down the streets
of New Delhi.”

63. Other Symbols
Water Buffalo : An endless cycle of dependency and interdependency
The water buffalo will get fatter. It will give more milk.
Cat : Associated with darkness which symbolise mystery and magic (Before
the death of Balram's Father, Before the Murder of Mr. Ashok cat crossed the
road)
The eyes of a cat watching its prey. (Pg 146)
Crow symbolise Transformation and Change, Have sharp foresight. Have a
potential to convert bad into something useful.
Crow sat down on the balcony and cawed.
Both of us turned and stared at it. (Pg 108)

64. Symbolic Study of The White Tiger
Lizard White Tiger
● “The journey from Darkness to
the Light is not smooth…only a
White Tiger can do this”
● A White Tiger keeps no friends
● Lizard as a symbol of Darkness,
Fear and Phobia
● Lizard represents Inner fear of
Balram
● Lizard’s Tail - Detachment (Family)
“Only flicking its red tongue in and out
of its mouth- the lizard came closer
and closer to my face” (p- 18)
In any jungle, what is the
rarest of animals—the
creature that comes along
only once in a generation?”
“The white tiger.” “That’s
what you are, in this jungle.”

65. Symbolic Study of The White Tiger
The Stork The Raven
“The Stork was a fat man
with a fat moustache, thick
and curved and pointy as
the tips…he took a cut of
every catch of fish caught
by every fisherman in the
river…”
“(The Raven) took a cut
from the goatherds who
went up there to graze with
their folks. If they didn’t
have their money, he liked
to dip his beak into their
backsides, so they called
him the Raven”

66. Symbolic Study of The White Tiger
Buffalo Wild Boar
“The Buffalo was greediest
of the lot. He had eaten up
the rickshaws and the
roads. So, if you ran a
rikshaw, or used the road,
you had to pay him feed_
one-third of whatever you
earned, no loss” (Adiga24).
“If you wanted to work
on his (Wild Bear)
lands, you had to bow
down to his feet, and
touch the dust under
his feet…”

67. Symbolic Study of The White Tiger
Black Fort
● The Black Fort was frightened Balram
throughout his youth.
● constructed by foreign occupiers years ago.
● The Black fort symbolize the darkness of the
rural India.
● When he returns to the village years later,
he finally gets the courage to visit the fort.
● This fort representing the power of former
occupiers, he rejects his former life,what his
family members live.
● His courage to climb up to the fort with its
view over Laxmangahr indicates that he has
escaped the psychology and fear that keeps
the residents of the Darkness oppressed.
● Throughout the narrative, these
objects represent and embody
both light (as in illumination)
and Light (as in success and
wealth).
● Symbolise Status and Freedom
● Balram says that “let me buy all
the chandeliers I want. For one
thing, they keep the lizards away
from this room. It's the truth, sir”
(p-68)
Chandeliers

68. The Rooster Coop
● Balram equates the miserable condition of
the poor from chickens in a rooster coop.
● Coop represent Life in darkness
● Rooster represent People who can't stand
for their own rights
“The greatest thing to come out of this
country... is the Rooster Coop. The roosters
in the coop smell the blood from above. They
see the organs of their brothers...They know
they’re next. Yet they do not rebel. They do
not try to get out of the coop. The very same
thing is done with human beings in this
country.” (Pg 102)

69. ● Ahmed, Zia, and Rabia Rafique. “Use of the Animal Imagery in Adiga’s The White Tiger.”
International Journal of English and Education, vol. 3, no. 2, Apr. 2014, pp. 522–533. ISSN: 2278-
4012, doi:www.ijee.org.
● Abullais, Md. “Corruption as Responsible Factor for Poverty in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger.”
Smart Movies Journal IJELLM, vol. 8, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2020,
doi:https://doi.org/10.24113/ijellh.v8i1.10341.
● Griffith, Kelley (2010), Writing Essays about Literature (8 ed.), Cengage Learning, p. 40, ISBN 978-
1428290419, retrieved February 10, 2013
● Jockim, Dr. D. “1. Conflict of Classes: A Marxist Reading of Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger - Dr. D.
Jockim - Journal of English Language Teaching and Literary Studies (JELTALS).” Google Sites, 1
July 2018.
● MasterClass. “Complete Guide to Literary Themes: Definition, Examples, and How to Create Literary
Themes in Your Writing - 2021.” MasterClass, MasterClass, 8 Nov. 2020.
● McLaughlin, Charles A. “A Note on ‘Imitation and Theme’ in Literary Criticism.” The Journal of
Aesthetics and Art Criticism, vol. 13, no. 2, 1954, pp. 267–270. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/425921. Accessed 4 Feb. 2021.
● Moss, Stephen. Aravind ADIGA: 'I Was Afraid the White Tiger Would Eat Me UP Too'. 22 Feb. 2018.
References

70. ● Narasiman, Renuka. “Balram’s Quest for Freedom in Adiga’s The White
Tiger.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 4, no. 5,
Oct. 2013. ISSN 0976-8165.
● Scopa, Sally. "The White Tiger Symbols: The Black Fort." LitCharts.
LitCharts LLC, 17 Jun 2015. Web. 6 Feb 2021.
● Selden,Raman. A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory. The
Harvester Press Limited; Sussex, 1985.
● Suganiya, C., and N. Gejeswari. “Indian Democracy in Aravind Adiga’s
White Tiger.” Language in India , vol. 19, 3 Mar. 2019, pp. 36–42.,
doi:www.languageinindia.com.
● Victoria, D, and SUMATHY K. SWAMY. “Impacts of Globalization on
Indian Culture: A Study of Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger.” IRE
Journals, vol. 2, no. 5, Nov. 2018, pp. 101–104. ISSN: 2456-8880.
● Thakkar, Shival. “Entrepreneurship in The White Tiger.”
● Yousuf, Muzifar. “Master-Servant Relationship in Adiga’s The White
Tiger.” Literary Herald, vol. 2, no. 3, 2016, pp. 251–261.

71. The White Tiger
Movie Adaption
♧ The movie “ The White Tiger”
is an adaptation of Aravind
Adiga’s 2008 novel of the same
name
Adiga dedicated the book to his friend Ramin
Bahrani.

72. ● The movie was released on 22nd January 2021,
directed by Ramin Bahrani and edited by Tim
Streeto and Ramin Bahrani.
● “ The White Tiger” premiered at Las Vegas on 6th
January 2021 and was screened at limited movie
theatres in the United States on 13th January 2021.
It was released globally through the streaming
platform Netflix on 22nd January 2021

73. ♧ The movie centred on Balram Halwai (Adarsh
Gourav), it follows a poor boy in a village in Bihar, who
travels to Dhanbad and ends up in Delhi and
Bangalore, becoming a shining model of new capitalist
India: an entrepreneur.
♧ If we talk about the movie “ The White Tiger” it is
half faithful and honest to the book except few things
which are majorly lacking in the movie.

74. Beginning of the movie and the book
♧ The movie begins with the scene of
the statue of Gandhi and his followers
at the night in Delhi when Balram is in
Maharaja’s costumes. He sets back in
the car and drunken Pinky madam
drives the car, which leads to her
striking and killing a small child.

75. ♧While the book begins with
the letter of Balram Halwai
to Wen Jiabao, who is going
to visit the India next week
to know the truth of
Bangalore and wants to
hear the success story of
Indian entrepreneurs from
their own lips

76. “ You were looking for the key for years,
But the door was always open.”
● These poetic lines bring major changes in both the
movie and in the book. In movie, Pinky madam who
speaks these lines when she goes to America and in
books Bookseller who speaks these lines when Balram
Halwai visits the book store and it changes entire life
of Balram Halwai from Yokel to rich and successful
entrepreneur.
Major Changes

77. ● Email and date as a narration in both but with some
changes
● The name of Balram Halwai by teacher and name of
Munna by his parents
● Seeking a job for driving in both the movie and in the
book ( quite different)
● Even, the car accident scene, different in both the movie
and in the book.

78. What the movie is lacking?
Deep satirical tone & Dialogues
The
Ganga
river
“ I haven't been back to see
the Ganga since then. I’m
leaving that river for the
American tourist! ( P - 18)

79. Lord Buddha
“ I wonder if the Buddha walked
through Laxmangarh - Some people say
he did. My own feeling is that he ran
through it - as fast as he could and got
to the other side and never looked
back. ( Page - 18 )

80. ♧ Some major incidents and description
like Black fort, Lizard, Balram’s
childhood hero Vijay and slum area of
Delhi, description of Golden hair of
foreign women etc.

81. Creating a film that maintains the heart and soul of
such a literary work and even many of its most
graceful lines is nearly impossible to accomplish.”
- Jessica Rawden, cinema blogger
"Witty, provocative, and moving, the film he has
made not only brings my book to life, but
transcends it."
Arvind Adiga

82. It is the second
most-watched film
on Netflix this
weekend in the U.K.,
and third in the
U.S., according to
the streaming
platform’s own daily
chart.

83. "It is a film with voiceover, from top to bottom
there's voiceover" - Bahrani Ramin
Where does movie fails?
● Narrative technique
● Voiceover of the narrator
● Dictation rather than the
movie

84. Continue...
● Portrayal of women as just
a sexual object

85. Use of language in the movie
“ ‘The Autobiography of a Half-
baked Indian’. That’s what I ought
to call my life’s story. Me, and
thousands of others in this country
like me, are half-baked because we
were never allowed to complete our
schooling.…” (Adiga, 2008, pp.10
– 11)
● Hindi plus English
● In village people speak
hindi, whereas in Delhi,
everyone speaks
English(their servants
also)
● Hindi - language of poor
and English - language
of rich people
● Perhaps director wanted
to be faithful with the
dialogues from the novel

86. Portrayal of Pinky
● Pinky has a more prominent
role in the movie.
● To make her more realistic and
empathetic person
● She encourages Balram to think
about his own life
‘She's been developed
tremendously in the movie
compared to the book’
Priyanka Chopra
I got out Balram
What is that you want to
do ?
- Pinky(in the movie)

87. Cinemetography

89. What American Alligator Symbolise Here?🤔
● Spirit Animal
● Reminds us to look for
New opportunities
knowledge and
Wisdom
● American Alligator
can see well at night
and can hold their
breath to catch prey
● Trust your inner sight
and perception

90. ● How Far Gandhi's Ideas are
Relevant in Independence
India?
● Gandhi as a Dream of Past
India
● Accident done by Pinky
Madam
● Bribe given to Politician

91. “Imagine
Yourself in a
Cage”
"I can't live
the rest of my
life in a cage”
(Balram)

92. End of the movie
● Differ from the novel
● Mysterious
● Dull than the novel
● Fails to convey the
write message .
● Even provoke people to
do murder.
‘I made it, I have broken and
out of the coop’ - Balram

93. Conclusion
ssible to work it into one film
● Is it possible to work into one film, or will it
be a series?
● Background music and cinemetography is
good
● Tries to takes each and every major parts
● In dialogues and script, it is faithful to the
novel, but as a movie it fails to justify the
novel.
● Don't watch the movie before reading the
novel.

94. Work Citation
♧ Adiga, Aravind. The White Tiger. HarperCollins, 2008.
♧Bahrani, Ramin. "Ramin Bahrani Put His Friend's Vibrant, Subversive Book On-
screen in 'The White Tiger'." Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2021,
www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2021-01-27/white-tiger-ramin-
bahrani-aravind-adiga. Accessed 7 Feb. 2021.
♧BBC Asian Network. "The White Tiger interview | Priyanka Chopra Jonas." 20 Jan.
2021, You Tube, youtu.be/9OEewmu1MHE. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.
Online video
♧Cremona, Patrick. "How Faithful is Netflix's The White Tiger to Aravind Adiga's
Novel?" Radio Times, 22 Jan. 2021, www.radiotimes.com/movies/white-tiger-book-
film-movie-differences/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2021.

95. ♧ Pahwa, Nitish. How Faithful Is The White Tiger to the Man Booker
Prize–Winning Novel? 22 Jan. 2021,
slate.com/culture/2021/01/white-tiger-book-movie-netflix-
differences.html.
♧Masand, Rajeev. "Ramin Bahrani on directing 'The White Tiger' | Interview with
Rajeev Masand | Netflix." You Tube, 22 Jan. 2021, youtu.be/bC-tYoFBvmQ. Accessed
9 Feb. 2021.
♧Jha, Aditya M. "How The White Tiger's Hammy Voice-over Narrative Adds to Its
White Gaze Conundrum - Entertainment News , Firstpost." Firstpost, 2 Feb. 2021,
www.firstpost.com/entertainment/how-the-white-tigers-hammy-voice-over-
narrative-adds-to-its-white-gaze-conundrum-9261491.html. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.
♧ Hornik, Susan. 'The White Tiger' Book and Netflix Movie Are Quite Different in a Few
Major Ways. 31 Jan. 2021, www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a35350851/the-
white-tiger-netflix-movie-book-comparison/.

96. ♧“The White Tiger (Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Feb.
2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Tiger_(film)
♧ Thakur, Tanul. 'The White Tiger': A Clunky and All Too Literal Cinematic Version
of a Satirical Novel. thewire.in/film/the-white-tiger-a-clunky-and-all-too-literal-
cinematic-version-of-a-satirical-novel.
♧ Scott, Sheena. "‘The White Tiger’ On Netflix Is A Compelling Adaptation Of
Aravind Adiga’s Bestseller." Forbes, 24 Jan. 2021,
www.forbes.com/sites/sheenascott/2021/01/24/the-white-tiger-on-netflix-is-a-
compelling-adaptation-of-aravind-adigas-bestseller/?sh=6cc30680d1d1.
Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.

97. How Literature or Text shaped
me ? (Nirali)
“ My whole life, I have been treated like a
donkey. All I want is that one son of mine - at
least one should live like a man.” ( page 30 )
- Vikram Halwai

98. Now, what I learnt from the text is
that...
Honesty and over kindness are like the
hedge of thorns in India. If you are
honest and over kind then what Vikram
Halwai said that You will treat like a
donkey.

99. ● If we want to get success in life then we must
have to come out of the hedge of thorns.
Which Balram Halwai called “ Rooster
Coop.” Indian people are like Rooster Coop.
Eat or get Eaten up (P - 38)
● Do the work for your own self and get the success. If you
work honestly then you will never get out of the Rooster
Coop

100. ❏Struggle makes you Hero
Here I found that the novel tells how the one poor Indian
man's struggle to come out from darkness with its poverty
and his experience of life to reach into the life.
Learning outcome : Rita
❏ Observe the world

101. “ I am not an original thinker - but
I am an original listener” ( pg 29)
❏ Make your listening skills powerful
❏ Try to come out from your comfort zone
❏ Be with you
Komal

102. In any jungle, what is the rarest of animals—
the creature that comes along only once in a
generation?”
“The White tiger”
“ That's why you are in this jungle” ( 23)
❏ Be the one who's different from the crowd
❏ Pay your full attention to what you want

103. How I Digest this ‘medicine’ which has its own
side effects and benefits (Nishtha)
● From Childhood to adulthood - surrounded by
moral stories and values.
● Grownup with ‘Panchtantra’, ‘Ramayana’,
‘Vikram Vetal Stories’ which are very common
● Always taught to be honest and do good works.
● Far away from the harsh reality and the real
world.
Eat—or get eaten up (P - 38)

104. ‘You have to be a white tiger to survive in this
world(jungle)’
● Don't be sentimental
● Don't be so sweet, don't be wise
● Break the chain of your limitations
● Be ambitious
● Be a good observer
‘I was looking for the key for years But
the door was always open’

105. Negative Impact
A White Tiger keeps no friends. It's
too dangerous. (P - 181)
● Honesty will kill you
● Be selfish
● अपना काम बनता, भाड़ में जाए जनता
● Power and money are everything
● જેવા સાથે તેવા
To be honest or not that is the question

106. That's why I want to ask you directly if you
really are coming to Bangalore (Balram 1st Page)
● Doubt everything you watch, Listen or come across.
● Doubt is an uncomfortable condition, but certainty is a
ridiculous one. (Voltaire)
Doubting is Better than Believing Blindly
Learning Outcome - Asha

107. But if the driver sees his free time as an opportunity, if
he uses it to think, then the worst part of his job
becomes the best. (Pg 86)
Create Your Own Opportunities
● Get out of your Comfortzone
● Develop Flexibility or Adaptibility
● Follow your Passion
● Life and Time is limited

108. Let Situation Determine to be
remain honest or not?
I did my job with near total dishonesty, lack of dedication,
and insincerity—and so the tea shop was a profoundly
enriching experience. (Pg 30)
Let animals live like animals; let humans
live like humans. That's my whole
philosophy in a sentence. (Pg 167)

109. ● Minutely observe the things
● Do original listening
● A White Tiger keeps no friends. It's too dangerous.
● No one helps us except from yourself.
● Don't sacrifice your dreams because of your family members and
others.
● What is stuck with me ?
- Do we blame a criminal for his decisions, or do we try to
understand those decisions as reactions to an overly oppressive
and restrictive society?
- 🤔🤔
Learning outcomes
- Ravina Parmar

110. Glimpses of Group Task

111. Search for
Qualitative Resources
List of Articles
Selected 10 Articles