Reviewed by
Amrita Nair, XII B
(First Prize in Book review competition, National Library Week, 2008)
Not So Shining..
ARAVIND ADIGA’S DEBUTANT NOVEL HAS BEEN HOGGING THE LIMELIGHT FOR RESONS OTHER THAN WINNING THE WORLD’S MOST COVETED RECOGNETION ,THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE FOR THE YEAR 2008. THE NOVEL “ THE WHITE TIGER “ HAS TORN DOWN THE MASK FRON THE SO CALLED SHINING FACE OF INDIA AND EXPOSED THE DEEPLY SCARRED AND POVERTY STRICKEN FACE OF THE UNSUNG MASSES .
ADIGA’S PORTRAYAL OF INDIA HAS RUFFLED A FEW FEATHERS OF THOSE INDIANS WHO HAD BEEN BASKING IN THE GLORY OF INDIA’S RISING SENSEX AND INCREASING INCOME FROM ABROAD .IT IS NOT JUST A CONTENT , BUT ALSO HIS STYLE OF PRESENTATION THAT COMES AS A SURPRISE. THE ENTIRE NOVEL IS IN THE FORM OF A LETTER ADRESSED TO THE CHINESE PREMIERE WEN JIABAO FROM AN INDIAN ENTRIPRENEUR BASED IN BANGLORE .
‘THE WHITE TIGER ‘ HAS DEPICTED THE CONDITION OF THE POOR AND THE POLITICIAN WHO FEED UPON THEIR HELPLESSNESS TO FILL THEIR OWN POCKETS .IT HAS REVEALED TO THE WORLD THAT IT IS THE SWEET OF THE POOR THAT GLISTEN IN THE INDIAN SUN AND FORINERS MISTAKE IT FOR GLITTER .(ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD.)
THE PROTAGONIST OF THE NOVEL BALRAM HALWAI IS BORN IN A POOR FAMILY IN BIHAR BUT WITH AN INNATE AMBITION TO BE HIGH AND MIGHTY LIKE THE LANDLOARDS IN THE VILLAGE .THE PROTAGONIST FEEL THE NEED TO FLEE THE VILLAGE AND LOOK FOR A LIVING IN THE CITY WHEN HE COMES ACROSS THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED THEIR LIVES IN VILLAGE SHATTERED AN MEANINGLES .HE OFTEN COMPARES HIS VILLAGE AND SACRED RIVER GANGA WITH DARKNESS .THIS WAS THE MAJOR FACTOR AROUSING THE PATRIOTIC OR RATHER INFLAMMABLE PASSION OF THE INDIAN INTELLIGENSIA AND THE EVER VIGILANT MEDIA . BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT ONE CAN ONLY SEE WHAT ONE WANT TO SEE .THE AUTHOR SPEAKS OF DARKNESS BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IS PRESENT IN THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT .(FREE EDUCATION AND CONTENTED LIVES IN BIHAR.)
WHEN THE PROTAGONIST MOVES TO DELHI TO MAKE HIS FORTUNE THE BOOK SLOWLY START REVEALIED THE TRUE COLORS OF INDIA’S NATIONAL CAPITAL .DELHI APPEARS STYLISH AND ELEGANT TO OTHERS (READ FOREIGN INVESTORS ) BECAUSE IT HAS SUCESSFULLY CAMOUFLAGED THE THAT PLAQUES THE CITY , BEHIND THE CONCRETE JUNGLE,IN THE INSIGNIFICANT SLUMS.
THE BOOK IS LKE A TYPICAL ADOOR GOPALAKRISHNAN MOVIE ,JUST DEPICTION OF LIFE ,NO BACKGROUND SCORE ,NO LARGER THAN LIFE DRAMA , NOTHING AT ALL.’THE WHITE TIGER’ UNFOLDS MORE LIKE A CHEMISTRY TEXT BOOK .IT SPEAKS ABOUT THE INEQUALITY BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR .OUR SPEAKER POLITICIANS FORMULATE LAWS AND POLICIES THAT CATALYSE THE EARNING CAPACIY OF THE RICH ,MAKIN THEM RICHER AND THE POOR POORER .
NO MATTER WHAT INCENTIVES ARE ANNOUNCED FOR THE POOR ,IT NEVER REACHES THEM BECAUSE THE MIDDLEMEN AND THE POLITICIANS FORM AN ELABORATE NETWORK BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMON MASSES .
THE PROTAGONIST ‘S MASTER ASHOK AND HIS WIFE PINKY ARE CLASSIC EXAMPLES OF INDIA ‘S CITY –DWELLING ELITE .THEY NEITHER KNOW NOR CARE ABOUT THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO ARE IN THEIR SERVICE .THEIR HOPES AND BELIEFS ECHO THE SPIRIT OF MODERN INDIA ,WHERE THE TIME TESTED VALUES OF TRUTH AND SELFLES SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY (READ PATRIOTISM) ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION .
THER NOVEL PROCEDS AT A SNAIL,S PACE EVEN THOUGH THE EVENTS ARE NARRATED BY THE PROTAGONIST IN A SPAN OF 3 – 4 DAYS .THE COLD BLODDED MURDER OF ASHOK BY HIS NEW DRIVER ,BALRAM HALWAR , DOES NOTHING TO EVOKE A SENSE OF FEAR OR INSTIL A CHILL IN THE SPINE .
THE BOOK CAN SERVE AS A WINDOW TO THE WORLD ABOUT THE TRUTH BEHIND ‘INCREDIBLE’ INDIA .HOW IT MANAGED TO KNOCK THE ’ THE SOCK OFF ’ THE JUDGES AT THE BOKER EVENT IS STILL A MYSTERY TO COME .WELL ,ONE CAN ALWAYS VIEW A GLASS AS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY .ADIGA CHOSE THE LATTER AND MAY BE THE JUDGES SAW THEFORMER IN HIS BOOK .
INDIA IS A NATION OBSESSED WITH CRICKET AND PRODUCES SURPRISING RESULTS EVERTHING IT OES , LIKE IN CRICKET SOMETIMES IT WINS AN UNEXPECTED MATCH AND SOMETIMES LOSES AN EASY MATCH .(GOT THE ANALOGY BETWEEN INDIA AN DCICKET ?) INDIA ‘S 6 DECADE LONG ATTEMPT IN ALLEVIATING POVERTY HAS NOT JUST FAILED , BUT ALSO PRODUCED STUNNING RESULTS IN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF INDIAN MILLIONARES AND BILLLIONARES .
EVEN THOUGH ‘THA WHITE TIGER ‘ (ARAVIND ADIGA ) ,LACKS THE OF ‘ INHERITANCE OF LOSS “ , IT SUCESSFULLY REVEALS THE SECRET OF SUCCESS IN LIFE :
‘ ANYONE WITH A KILLAR INSTINCT ,CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN .’
AND NOW A WORD OF CAUTION ,THIS BOOK IS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO SEEK INSPIRATION FOR SUCCESS.THOSE BOOKWORMS WHO NEED TO KEEP THE MID NIGHT OIL BURNING SHOULD LOOK ELSEWHERE .
