The White Tiger

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The White Tiger Aravind Adiga
How to break out of the rooster cage, break away from the darkness (of Bihar) to freedom.
He captures so much of Delhi that I remember: the illogical house numbering, A456 does not come after A455.

The relationship between Balram and his employee, Mr Ashoke, is of a kind of love.
How many planets? Did you hear the answer? He is half baked. No wonder India like this.
I didn't like the way he spoke but he was right.

Born and raised in the darkness. Of course Bihar, run for 10 years under the Great Socialist, (Laloo) with an economy of coal. Party symbol a pair of hands breaking through handcuffs, (apt bearing in mind Laloo's frequent battles to stay out of prison. 'He had come to clean things up, but the mud of Mother Ganga had sucked him in. Others said he was dirty from the start'.

The Landlords are named after animals, Stork, Buffalo, Raven: The children were gone but the animals stayed and fed on the village until there was nothing left for anyone to feed on.
Non blaming: The teacher had a legitimate excuse to steal the money - he said he hadn't been paid for 6 months. He understood a Gandhian revolt of passive doing nothing. Terrified of loosing as the perks great.

The break, the light that entered the class the government inspector, shines through the book. That's what you are, the white tiger,in this jungle.

Roundings: We had the girl, so we were screwed. We had the boy, so screwed the family - I still remember what we got.

Moving out of caste. Father Rickshaw puller, moved out of sweet making.
The old man was the Stork, same village. Two castes now, men with Big Bellies and men with Small Bellies

Servant: Love of uniform, abandoned in Dehi for dirty shirt.

Cuddles and Puddles: The relationship with servant and master is so pointed with the masters dogs - invariably treated with absurd affection in sharp contrast to servant. Servants role to shampoo and dry the Pomeranians. Don't pull the lead so hard - they are worth more than you are!

Servant master: Did you see what he did.
What is your name? The villagers are so religious in the Darkness.

What a fucking joke: Madam Pinky's original expression

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Posted 2010
rachelkellett@rediffmail.com