The White Tiger as a Symbol of Literary Resistance

Abstract

Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger stands as a potent symbol of literary resistance, challenging dominant narratives about modern India’s economic progress. Drawing from postcolonial and subaltern theory, the novel foregrounds the voice of Balram Halwai—a character from the margins—whose gritty, self-reflective monologue dismantles the idealised vision of a shining, globalised India. Adiga employs the metaphor of the “white tiger” to emphasise the singularity and rarity of rebellion, presenting Balram as a subversive figure who breaks free from the “rooster coop” of caste, poverty, and servitude. Rooted in the tradition of Indian resistance literature, the novel echoes earlier works that gave voice to the oppressed, while sharply shifting the focus toward post-liberalisation socio-economic inequalities. Animal imagery—such as the rooster, buffalo, and tiger—is used not only to expose dehumanisation but also to highlight rebellion born of desperation. Balram’s moral ambiguity and his eventual turn to murder blur the lines between victimhood and villainy, emphasising that resistance is often ethically fraught. Balram’s voice emerges from a world cloaked in social, moral, and economic darkness, challenging the oppressive silence historically enforced upon the subaltern. Through his irreverent, confessional narrative, The White Tiger transforms storytelling into resistance—exposing exploitation while asserting identity. Adiga’s novel becomes more than fiction; it is a radical gesture that destabilises dominant discourse, allowing the marginalised not only to speak, but to reclaim authorship of their own realities.