The White Tiger and Its Critics: A Survey of Recent Responses Sidra Aman Vohra 11th Grade

Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger is a representation of the India that is not often displayed among the media. It is an India that, in its core, incorporates all aspects of political, social and economic injustice. Balram Halwai, the protagonist, lives in a world of two extremities: the downtrodden poor and the conniving rich. The somewhat obscure portrayal of India raises questions among widely accredited critics on whether Adiga’s India is a true one or not. It is, however, quite likely that the ‘ugliness [of India] is exaggerated’ and not at all like the monstrosity in The White Tiger. Where several critics believed they ‘could not relate to the destitution’ demonstrated in the novel, many others held the idea that it brought the ‘true India’ to light.

The White Tiger’s convoluted take on an India lacking a decent political atmosphere has been condemned by various big names. The poor are so inanely poor that they are forced to work away their lives repaying their debts. Akash Kapur of the New York Times speaks of an absolute ‘absence of human complexity’ in the novel. The countless hours spent describing the depravity of the lower class in The White Tiger has reduced them to only ‘symbols’. Adiga has seemingly attempted to...