Voices from the Margins: Subaltern Consciousness in Arvind Adiga’s the White Tiger and Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance

The representation of the subaltern has long been a prominent theme in postcolonial literature, offering insight into the experiences of the oppressed, marginalized, and voiceless in society. Arvind Adiga’s The White Tiger (2008) and Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance (1995) are seminal works that delve into the consciousness of the subaltern, particularly within the framework of modern Indian society. This paper seeks to conduct a comparative analysis of the two novels, focusing on how each work portrays subaltern consciousness, the socio-political forces shaping these characters’ experiences, and the varied paths they take toward agency and self-expression. While both novels focus on systemic oppression and the denial of power, they differ in their narrative approach and the nature of resistance or compliance depicted within the lives of the subaltern. The study reveals how each author articulates the tension between hope and despair, agency and powerlessness, survival and morality within an unequal society.