Rising Against the Odds: A Critical Exploration of Oppression and Resistance in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger

This study aims to analyze the interplay between oppression and resistance as depicted in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger, focusing on the tools through which inequality shapes individual agency. By critically examining Balram’s transformation, the ethical dilemmas he encounters, and the broader implications of his actions, this paper seeks to uncover the ways in which Adiga’s work serves as both a critique of entrenched hierarchies and an assertion of radical self-liberation. Through a detailed examination of themes, narrative techniques, and socio-political commentary, this study will provide a nuanced understanding of The White Tiger and its significance in discussions of oppression and resistance. The novel offers a profound examination of class struggle and economic disparity in contemporary India, making it an insightful text for Marxist analysis. Through the journey of Balram Halwai, Adiga unveils the entrenched inequalities that separate the elite from the working class, shedding light on the exploitation, systemic corruption, and the resilience of those who seek to break free from oppression.