Postcolonial literature and Literary fiction White Tiger Genre 1 Thriller Although the novel does not satisfy many of the expectations of a thriller some of its features do and they include ID: 685054
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Slide1
White TigerGenre
White Tiger is a novel that can not easily fit into the one genre. In fact, it’s fair to say that it contains elements of 4 different Genres; Thriller, Bildungsroman, Postcolonial literature and Literary fiction.Slide2
White Tiger- Genre 1. Thriller
Although the novel does not satisfy many of the expectations of a thriller, some of its features do and they include:• ongoing suspense• a focus on criminal events• tension in plot development and events• the contribution of sex and violence to the
plot
Text within a text -
Murder Weekly (described by Balram on pp.125-6), is a more traditional form of thriller, an Indian version of pulp fiction.Slide3
White Tiger – Genre 2. Bildungsroman
The term bildungsroman comes from the German words bildung (education) and roman (novel), and it describes a novel primarily concerned with the development and moral education of its protagonist(s
). These
novels
emphasise early influences in characters' lives, examining the growth and maturation of the character through adolescence and early adulthood
. Although the novel does not explicitly explore
Balram’s
childhood, it does keep it in the background and it sets up the context for his eventual act of murder and his current life as an 'entrepreneur‘.Slide4
White Tiger – Genre 3. Postcolonial literature
Postcolonial literature can be described, very simplistically, as writing from colonised countries (including India and Australia) that addresses the impacts of imperialism and colonisation. Although the novel is not explicit in detailing the
impacts
of colonisation
on India, it does examine the differences between rural and city life in India. As well as the influence of American imperialism, (the cultural and economic
influence of America on
India). You will notice that s
ome of Balram's opinions and values suggest his disapproval of the influence of
American culture
on India, even while he embraces the opportunities it brings him.Slide5
White Tiger Genre 4. Literary Fiction
When a novel is classified as Literary fiction it means that it is characterised by meaningful social, political, artistic or humanitarian issues. The White Tiger - with its exploration of ideas such as poverty, independence, power
and freedom - fits these criteria and so could be described
as
literary fiction.Slide6
Narrative Styles
Who is Balram writing to?Slide7
Narrative Style – First Person
The novel is told in the first person (‘I‘, ‘my’), which draws readers closer to its narrator and protagonist, Balram. First person narratives allows readers
to empathise
with the central
character and not distance themselves from him and his experiences. This alliance between readers and Balram increases the likelihood that readers will accept
his actions-
even
when they are morally questionable. Another common effect of the first-person narrative perspective is subjectivity or bias: because the narrative only provides access to Balram’s
experience and point of view, readers can struggle
to
empathise
with other characters.
Can you think of any other texts (books, films) in which the protagonist does some immoral things, but we accept and even sympathise with him/her?
What about a text in which we realise the narrator has overlooked something important…or is just plain wrong about reality?Slide8
Narrative structure - Letters
Balram’s story is told through a series of letters to the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao. Balram has heard that the Premier is soon to visit India and is allegedly interested in Indian
entreprenuers
.
He writes nightly letters to the Premier, telling his story from childhood to present.Chapters - The First Night, The Second Night, The Fourth Morning, The Fourth Night, The Fifth Night, The Sixth Morning, The Sixth Night, The Seventh Night.Slide9
White Tiger - Major Themes
Corruption Class – Freedom, EducationPowerMasculinityGlobalizationSlide10
White Tiger - Corruption
Balram's experiences with corruption begin early in his life and persist even in his position as a successful business owner. The novel tell us that there is underlying corruption at every level of society; this forms the backdrop to the most shocking act in the novel:
Ashok‘s
murder.
To some extent, the novel suggests that such acts are, if not forgivable, at least understandable in such moral contexts. As Balram says, 'You can't expect a man in a
dung heap
to smell sweet' (p.33
). Slide11
In India, people have traditionally been divided into castes which are social classes.Historically, what caste you belong to and what family name you have determines
your status in society. When Balram asks The Stork for a job, The Stork wants to know what caste Balram belongs to. Balram’s journey is about breaking free of the class structure.
White Tiger – CLASS Slide12
EDUCATION
The novel promotes education and the process of educating and improving oneself as a pathway to freedom, empowerment and enlightenment. The strongest example of this is
Balram's
transition from impoverished child to owner
of a successful business.
FREEDOM
The lower castes in
The White Tiger
are trapped in a cycle of grinding
poverty and
lack of education.
The White Tiger
follows the protagonist’s quest for that thing
that every
person wants: freedom.Slide13
The novel suggests that power is only ever used for evil and never for good- there are few examples of those in power supporting or standing up for those with less power in any given situation. A rare instance is
Balram's willing support for the family of the boy killed by one of his drivers.
White Tiger - POWERSlide14
White Tiger – Masculinity Masculinity means how men think or feel about themselves as men. In
other words: what’s important about being a man? Nearly all of the characters in The White Tiger are male. In this male centred environment, for Balram, it’s important to be free and
succeed not because he is a person, but because he is a man
.
The idea of the self-made man – for Balram, the self-made Indian man must repeatedly transform himself—to not only change his profession, uniform and outward presentation, but also his very identity.Slide15
White Tiger – Globalisation
Globalisation and the impact of the outside world - the actions of people in other countries - are more and more evident in every place around the globe. In The White Tiger,
globalisation means that
there is an increased market for India’s resources, such as coal
which The Stork and his sons are involved in), and IT services and call centres in Bangalore (which Balram becomes involved in).
Balram’s
journey in The White Tiger shows us that globalisation can result in the poor and oppressed being further exploited but can also offer an opportunity for those canny enough to work out how to use it.