In the The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, the main character Balram writes a letter to the Premier of China, Wen Jiabao. The Premier is going to be visiting India soon. Balram believes that his own ludicrous story of how he became an entrepreneurial success will show Jiabao what Bangalore, his town in India, is all about. Balram's success follows years of struggle. Things change dramatically for him when he kills his employer, Mr. Ashok. Mr. Ashok's murder changes the course of Balram's life and deeply affects his decision making throughout the rest of the story. The idea that a man could break out of such a structured, corrupt, and oppressive caste system is fascinating. The way Balram uses the murder as the crucial step in his search for success creates a story about testing morals and the structure of society. My passage comes from a point in the book in which Balram is speaking directly to Mr. Jiabao. He describes India's social structure and shares his views on it. He brings up this point because he is trying to explain some of his recent, outrageous acts. .
Part B.
"Never before in human history have so few owed so much to so many, Mr. Jiabao. A handful of men in this country have trained the remaining 99.9 percent-as strong, as talented, as intelligent in every way-to exist in perpetual servitude; a servitude so strong that you can put the key of his emancipation in a man's hands and he will throw it back at you with a curse. .
You'll have to come here and see it for yourself to believe it. Every day millions wake up at dawn-stand in dirty, crowded buses-get off at their masters' posh houses-and then clean the floors, wash the dishes, weed the garden, feed their children, press their feet-all for a pittance. I will never envy the rich of America or England. Mr Jiabao: they have no servants there. They cannot even begin to understand what a good life is." (149).
Part C .
The first thing about this passage that stood out for me was his discussion of inequality.
This struggle is prevalent in the development of the protagonist Balram Halwai in The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. ... "(Adiga 73). ... "(Adiga 74). ... Furthermore, the White Tiger becomes utterly corrupted when Balram commits the atrocious act of murder. ... Throughout the book, the immense difficulty of being a White Tiger or the ideal person is showcased. ...
