Thinking Activity : The White Tiger

Hello Readers,

                          This blog is a part of classroom activity given by professor Dr. Dilip Barad in which students' work is to think about given points and compare the novel with movie "Slumdog Millionaire" by Danny Boyle. To have a look at the worksheet click here.

1) How far do you agree with the India represented in the novel The White Tiger?

Ans.  Somewhat I agree with the representation of India in the novel because somehow Adiga presented reality of India like corruption, poverty, cheats and illiteracy. Although, when novel was written that time India also has bright side and development but here Adiga shows us the dark side of India. These kind of thing somehow we can see in all the countries of the world. So, Adiga presented the reality of India and we see this kind of India in the present day also.

2) Do you believe  that Balram's story is the archetype of all stories of ''Rags to riches?

Ans. We an see that the stories which portrays poor as central character at the end of the  story the poor becomes rich. We can see many people who are same as Balaram. Same like who belongs to poor and wide family, who did not complete their studies, who goes to work from early childhood, and who has bearing insults from those who are rich. These types of stories shows the struggle of poor to achieve their dream and for that becoming rich. The ways of reaching to the destination of wealth might differs of each stories but the suffering always remain same. So, this way we can say that Balram's story is archetype of all stories of 'Raga to Riches'.

3) " Language bears within itself the necessity of its own critique, reconstructive criticism aims to show that any text inevitably undermines its own claims to have a determinate meaning, and licences the reader to produce his own meaning out of it by an activity of semantic 'free play' (Derrida, 1978, in Lodge, 1988,p. 108) Is it possible to do deconstruction reading of The White Tiger? How?

Ans. Yes, it is possible to deconstruct "The white Tiger". We can deconstruct it with the help of Derrida's concept of free play of meanings. To break the language we need to find the loose stone of it. The loose stone of "The White Tiger" is that Balram himself says that he is "Half-backed. This word breaks all the philosophy and all the ideals which Balram is presenting by giving his own example. Because he is not fully educated. He understand things with his limited power of analysis. He appropriate the deep philosophies with his shallow ideas and thinking. For example, he compares his idea of killing his master and get freedom with the enlightenment of Buddha. This proves his shallow knowledge about Buddha and his idea of enlightenment. So, this way we can deconstruct "The White Tiger"

↠ Similarities between "The White Tiger" and "Slumdog Millionaire": 

1. Narrative structure : wanted poster / KBC show:

The white tiger is an epistolary novel , dark comedy and satire. Balram Halwai is protagonist in the novel. Flashback technique used here. Balram writes letters to Wen Jiabao , the premier of China.

In film ' Slumdog millionaire ' protagonist Jmal mlik , whose story represented by flashback technique. In the film setting is KBC show as medium of  narration. Balram Halwai and Jmal mlik both achieve their goals by their own style. By being honest , corrupt , moral or immoral or by desire. Both were also presented as  " Chai wala ". Jmal mlik became famous by show and Balram by Wanted poster. Both have money idea in mind and they make it also. In both poverty , corruption , family , struggle all are presented.  Thus narration of novel and film are much similar.

2. Indianness :

In both narration there is a satire on India , that no basic necessities even fulfilled like , water , electricity , public transportation , discipline or punctuality. Cricket , voting patterns , intuition all reflects Indianness.

Family structure : In both film and novel narration of family life. Balram ' s father and grandmother , cousins all binds him. He have to sacrifice his study for family support. But he breaks the tradition and get freedom by  loss of family. Jmal ' s brother slim also departed from him have choose bad  way to survive.

Railway station : train and station narration in both reflects indianness. Balram ' s wanted poster and run away after crime all at the station. Jmal 's quest , love and ending all at the station . Thus station reflects indianness.

Two brothers : two brothers lost and found is archetype also reflects Indianness in both narration. Slim ' s departure and meeting shows that thing.

Police system : In The White Tiger Balram bribes police and start New business . In Slumdog millionaire also police is corrupted. Thus it reflects Indianness.

Education : Balram and Jmal both were uneducated but still have intelligence and talent to understand the world. They have enough knowledge how  to survive in world.

 3. List  of the questions asked in the ' Slumdog millionaire'.

 1. Who was the star in the 1973 hit film "Zanzeer"

ans. Amitabh Bacchan

  2. A picture of three lions is seen in the national emblem of India. What is written underneath it?

Ans.  The Truth alone triumphs

    

3. In depiction of God Rama, he is famously holding what in his right hand?

 Ans. A bow and arrow

    

4. The song " Darshan Do Ghanshyam" was written by which famous Indian poet?

  Ans. Surdas

    

5. On the American One Hundred Dollar Bill, there is portrait of which American Statesman?

 Ans. Benjamin Franklin

    

6. Who invented the revolver?

Ans.  Samuel Colt

    

7. Cambridge Circus is in which UK City?

 Ans . London

8. Which cricketer has scored the most first class centuries in history?

 Ans.  Jack Hobbs

9. In Alexander Dumas' book, "The Three Musketeers", two of the musketeers are called Athos and Porthos. What was the name of the third Musketeer?

  Ans .Aramis

   

4. Deconstruction of film from post colonial perspective:

In narration of  the novel we find they treated Indian as very inferior people comparing to them. By showing slim as bad boy , and as chitter with them , then  good reaction of  Americans towards them. That shows their mentality towards India. They visited Indian place it also part of it. By portraying Indian as poor and corrupted they make themselves superior.

5. Compare with Texture and treatment of subject content in film and novel.

The technique of the film and novel is much similar which presents the dark side of India rather than looking at the light side. Themes like corruption, poverty can be found in both. The show host, gangster, police, Salim everyone is corrupt in the film. Salim sells the autograph of Amitabh Bachchan to get money. However it is his younger brother Jamal who get the autograph. From the very early age Salim begins corruption. In the novel the character of protagonist himself is corrupt. If someone did small corruption like, taking more money from masters to repair car or to get petrol, then keeping the remaining amount is also corruption. However big dealers corruption looks more problematic than workers of small scale. Both, presents the same texture of India. The outsider looks at India from different angle like lizard in the class (in the novel), street dog (in film). This is much Indian, about the real society.

Treatment of subject is also going similar in the film and the novel that is treating serious element of India with dark comedy. There is comedy upon the life of common man, about the size of their family and so on.

Thank You.