Ethical Consequences of Economic Disparity in Aravind Adiga’s ‘The White Tiger’

Abstract

In the Indian Constitution, it is enshrined that every person is equal irrespective of caste and religion. In spite of that, inequality has been reigning in rural areas especially in respect of Dalits. For this, the Government has been making every effort to bring awareness to the people about the concept of equality. Still, disparity has been predominant in the postcolonial knowledgeable society towards Dalits. As a result, to get away from it the downtrodden have been resorting to illegal ways to vindicate their existence. The present paper is an attempt to project the brutal injustices on Dalits that are still prevailing in India and the ethical consequences of Economic parity through Aravid Adiga’s novel The White Tiger. Balram Halwai, the protagonist, belongs to Dalit community with a poor background, struggles for survival to eke out his livelihood. His village Laxmangarh, in North India is in the hands of the four landlords of high caste. They have the upper hand in the village and treat the downtrodden with much discrimination. Anyhow, to make his living, Balram starts his career as a car driver to Ashok the son of one of the landlords in New Delhi. There he gets vexed with the agonizing barriers, the dominance of the rich and their attitude towards Dalits and impoverished. Notwithstanding the tyranny of his owner, he kills him, grabs his property, escapes to Bangalore and resumes his new life as an entrepreneur. Through the character of Balram, the writer expresses the physical and social exploitation and the different problems that affect the day-to-day lives of Dalits and the suppressed in India. As well, he drives home the point how the exploitation of the rich succumb to the victimized to involve in unlawful means for their survival.