6/22/2023 0 Comments The white tiger novelThroughout the book, Balram goes through the motions of religious faith and prayer largely to impress his master with his devotion. Traditional Indian values founded on deep religious faith and the teachings of venerated national heroes like Gandhi are similarly comprised. In both cases, people sacrifice morality as they fight for survival within India’s cutthroat social landscape. Meanwhile, Rooster Coop logic prevails over Dark India: men dutifully behave according to familial and religious values, but they do so because they are terrified into submission, not out of genuine desire to lead a good life. They are “Light” primarily in the sense that they can actually see the “light” of wealth and luxury, much as a plant might grow tall enough to see the light of day and further its own growth. Rather, its members do whatever necessary to preserve their own wealth and power, acting morally only when it is convenient for them. Balram’s description of the Light India versus the Dark India in the novel, which subverts usual associations of “Light” with virtue, and “Darkness” with immorality, reflects this upset of moral values. The White Tiger portrays an India that has not only lost its traditional social structure, but also outgrown a conventional moral framework.
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