Review of The White Tiger

Rating: 4.5/5

Age Rating: 15+

The White Tiger depicts the story of a young man named Balram Halwai who comes from a rural family in India that has suffered generations of poverty and illiteracy. It is written in the form of letters addressed to the Prime Minister of China, explaining the true condition of the ‘darkness’. After Balram loses his father to an illness, he becomes a servant to a rich, aristocratic, and renowned family. This leads to a series of events in which he is confronted with the prosperous and exploitative methods they adopt. 

This book is a remarkably accurate representation of what India truly is. It skillfully incorporates the expectations parents have of their children, the reciprocation of sacrifices that they expect, the lack of self-respect some people have, and the submissive attitude ingrained in them. This masterpiece also portrays the harsh realities of the class system; the rural poor are slaughtered for the benefit of the rich. Adiga’s writing style is absolutely stunning, consisting of short sentences with provocative meanings behind them. The book is also filled with disturbing wit and precise metaphors. The tone of the protagonist is very unique, filled with sarcasm and sentiment alike. Though some parts are slightly baffling, the fact that the entirety of this book is highly metaphorical has to be kept in mind. As a winner of the Booker Prize, it is a masterful amalgamation of carefully selected words used to describe each scenario with excellence. This book provides readers with a very peculiar perspective and leaves you in awe of all the thoughts the protagonist has.

Here are some lines from the book which I found extremely intriguing and beautifully written:

‘Halwai…’ He turned to the small dark man. ‘What caste is that, top or bottom?’ And I knew my future depended on the answer to this question.

This line from the book is representative of the caste system that is still prevalent in India. The surnames of many individuals determine which caste they belong to. Coming from a lower caste (bottom) family is considered awful, and such families are not allowed to visit temples. The White Tiger has touched upon many such social issues such as this.

His eyes seemed full of wonder: how could two such contrasting specimens of humanity be produced by the same soil, sunlight, and water.

This quote reflects the differences between the affluent and the utterly poor; they are both so different yet so similar. This is the fundamental problem which humanity is facing.

Free people don’t know the value of freedom, that’s the problem.