ContrastUsing your novels complete the table below. Contrast shown by AdigaQuote where the contrast is explored Explain the context of the quoteExplain and evaluate Adigas meaning behind the contrast.

Darkness and Light

Please understand, Your Excellency, that India is two countries in one: an India of Light, and an India of Darkness.( p. 14, 1st night)Balram visualises two Indias that of the light-urban coastal India, and that of the darkness- rural India where the Ganga is a symbol of bringing Darkness e.g Slaves will remain slave because they cant see whats beautiful in the world, as they are constantly oppressed by their masters. It also forms as a barrier in that to, the social hierarchy of India. Balram is able to transcend this barrier as he has acquired unique abilities that a rare individual holds- a White Tiger. Balram also fully doesnt understand if he is part of the light because the barrier is beyond the control of his.The darkness is for people the poor who live in bad conditions, while the light is for people who have brought Delhi to something.

Darkness and Light

These poor bastards had come from the Darkness to Delhi to find some light but they were still in the darkness.(p. 138)Delhi is seen as the light to the people of India, but even moving to Delhi cannot transcend people into the light because they are still poor and live in poverty. To become truly part of the light, it takes the courage and strength of the White Tiger, the poor bastards dont have these skills and thus they remain in darkness. Adiga is showing the struggles to transition from the darkness to the light, even if you are seen in the distinct district of the light you may not be light yourself as they may still be living in poverty and sickness. To overcome these boundaries Adiga contrast them to someone like Balram who is considered a White Tiger because of his vast amount of qualities that make him superior to those living in the darkness. To become part of the light Adiga is representing you must be able to change India and contribute to its development which these poor bastards cannot.

Darkness and Light

The Light and the Darkness both flow in to Delhi. Gurgaon, where Mr. Ashok lived, is the bright, modern end of the city, and this place. Old Delhi is the other end. Full of things that the modern world forget all about rickshaws, old stone buildings and Muslims

This quote demonstrates that even though Delhi is considered the light, there is still darkness in Delhi and that is why people who travel to the light are still not considered a part of it. Delhi to like every city has its good and bad parts, the old parts of Delhi are its bad parts. Old Delhi seemingly is living in the past, forgotten things for the rich still lie hear because it will never develop as the investment is in making the better parts of the city even better because the rich bring in revenue to these parts of the city. The better parts also attract tourism, to hide the underdeveloped parts and provide an income from foreign travellers. Adiga is trying to demonstrate a city that is considered light, but will never fully be light until the poor of Delhi are ridden from it. By associating the poor with Old Delhi and it underdevelopment it is pointing a finger at because the poor remain slaves, constantly focused on staying alive they will never think to develop because they are trapped in society where they cannot revolt because their constantly oppressed from the light of Delhi. While the light is considered modern because its development is far revolutionising the city because people who are part of the light are considered by Adiga to be able to make change to India, and that is why it is in constant development.

Darkness and Light

You see, I am in the Light now, but I was born and raised in Darkness( p. 14, 1st night)

Because Balram is describing an overview of his story, he is demonstrating his success in achieving to break the coop and to become part of the light. He is considered part of the light because he made a difference to India, he revolted against the oppression of Ashok by determining him at his weakest stage and killed him. Following this he also set up White Tiger Technology Drivers which was another change he made to India through his entrepreneurial skills. Adiga is giving a synopsis of the contrasting change Balram has made to become part of the light from being born in the darkness. This quote is a dynamic summary as it gives the reader a sense of how far it has taken Balram to become a part of the light.

Darkness and Light

shine light on my dark storyBalram is used this as an analogy, his story is considered dark because he committed murder, but also because he was considered for a majority of the book part of the darkness that is why this link has been characterised. To his story ends with him becoming a much lighter part in society and this connects with light because it is considered in India you are part of the light when you have made a change to India.Adiga used imagery for past and present, light is progress.

Wealth and Poverty

The rich always get the best things in life, and all that we get is the leftovers. p. 198It is true that because the rich are rich they can acquire power of people lesser in money and status then them as an example in White Tiger is the rich rig the elections through bribes so the one who most favours their lifestyle will stay in power. In turn they make the poor suffer through lesser by using them as profit until they become nothing more than a servant, this domination provides nothing for them except in what the rich dont want and find attractive to them which will cycle down to the poor. Either it be they dont want this prostitute because there are higher ranking ones. Adiga is demonstrating the situation of the poor relative to life, as the wealth of the rich brings possessions that the poor cannot quite buy, but it also demonstrates this nave nature in Balram for he doesnt understand that family can come without this cost

Wealth and Poverty

The more I stole from him, the more I realized how much he had stolen from me. p. 196After Balram steals from Ashok he realises Ashok doesnt even relies that hes stealing from him because hes just so rich. This in turn realised how little profit he was actually receiving from Ashok as in a way being cheated from Ashok because he was receiving just so little. Adiga conveying a meaning that Ashok wealth had enabled him to not even realise he was being stolen from, while Balrams limited income is evident that stealing from Ashok doesnt make a cent difference to the rich while it makes a huge difference to the poor

Wealth and Poverty

The dreams of the rich, and the dreams of the poor - they never overlap, do they? See, the poor dream all their lives of getting enough to eat and looking like the rich. And what do the rich dream of? Losing weight and looking like the poor.Balram contrast the difference motives between the poor and rich which are ironic in some sense. He believes that the rich spend their lives trying to get a perfect figure, similar to the weight of the poor while the poor spend their lives trying to actually put on weight to survive.Adiga is contrasting the unique ambitions of the poor and rich that in itself contrast each other as the rich want to be skinny and the poor want to be fat

Wealth and Poverty

Do we loathe our masters behind a facade of love - or do we love them behind a facade of loathing?Balram questions the poors deceptive appearance on how they view their masters. He is not sure in understanding the real relationship between the poor and the rich because it is so complicated to express. Adiga is contrasting the poors deceptive appearances on the rich, that Balram cant quite underpin because he has mixed feelings about Ashok, similarly it questions the reader on Ashok own thoughts to Balram, if he is just being deceptive or if his emotions are the truth

Wealth and Poverty

We were like two separate cities - inside and outside the egg...I was in some way out of the car too, even while I was driving it.(p. 116)Balram starkly contrast the rich and poor are described when Balram first reaches Delhi as he compares the rich inside the egg, while the poor are out on the street pavements. He feels torn apart though as he sees his father features in some beggar on the street and believes thats a part of him.Adiga is regularly in the book contrasting the rich and the poor, hear Balram feels a sense he is a part of the rich now, but his fathers slave blood will always run in his veins as he can never fully escape the darkness

Morality and Immorality

(The) tale of how I was corrupted from a sweet, innocent village fool into a citified fellow full of debauchery, depravity, and wickedness. (p.189)This is the conclusion of Balrams process of change from village boy to a social entrepreneur connected with his self-disdain for what hes become.Adiga is contrasting Laxmangarh and Delhis impact on Balram, where he has become wicked due to the freeness, and social corruption that Delhi has brought and rather Laxmangarh is innocent village for how the landlords have controlled it

Morality and Immorality

the Animals stayed and fed on the village, and everything that grew in it, until there was nothing left for anyone else to feed onThe quote is an analogy of the landlords oppression over Laxmangarh, highlighting their traits as being selfish and greedy by taking the income and resources of the village peasants for their benefit in providing themselves with revenue. While on the other hand the peasants work to provide for their family with this constant harassmentAdiga is identifying the social structure of Laxmangarh, in how the poor is always oppressed by the rich because to survive they do not care about fighting the rich, and this allows the rich to manipulate the poor to pay them so they can strive to survive

Morality and Immorality

The Rooster Coop needs people like me to break out of it. It needs masters like Mr.Ashok - who, for all his numerous virtues, was not much of a master - to be weeded out,and exceptional servants like me to replace him. (p. 275)To make the coop effective, India must have people to break out of it so morally right or weak masters can be replaced with servants who are immoral and can restore a balance between the rich and the poorAdiga is representing the structure of the rooster coop in how a master always allows the roosters to stay in the coop, because when a master becomes to weak a rooster kill that master in order to retain a balanced oppression

Morality and Immorality

Once the master of the Honda City becomes corrupted, how can the driver stayinnocent? (p. 167)Ashok is responsible for Balram, and if Ashoks becomes weak, then its the drivers cannot be in control committing an act beyond reasonAdiga is excusing Balram for his actions of planning and killing Ashok, as it was Ashoks own fault for showing this weakness to Balram. This contrast between master and servant as Balram will eventually be Ashoks master rather then Ashok being his master

Morality and Immorality

Here, if a man wants to be good, he can be good. In Laxmangarh, he doesnt even havethis choice. This is the difference between this India and that India: the choice. (p. 263)Balram compares the situation of people in Laxmangarh to Bangalore, because he is part of the light and is not being oppressed by the landlords, Balram believes that there is a great deal of choice in Bangalore because its a lot more free. Whereases in Laxmangarh a man cannot be good because he is constantly driven by the landlords and his familyAdiga is identifying why Balram acts differently in Bangalore to Laxmangarh, he couldnt be good because he was constantly oppressed by the landlords, while in Bangalore there is no oppression in people telling you what to do because its a lot freer.

Ironic Contrasts

The main thing to know about Delhi is that the roads are good, and the people are bad (p. 124)Balram contrast the two differences of Delhi, as he believes that the city has developed well compared to his village of Laxmangarh with revolutionary roads, but its not the same for the people like the ones from his village in Laxmangarh as they are corrupted with Murder Weekly magazines and destroying their mouths with PaanAdiga is contrasting the differences between Laxmangarh and Delhi, while the roads are good in Delhi they are crap in Laxmangarh, and while the majority of people in are Laxmangarh are oppressed they mean well, this is different to Delhi who where the people are free but have corrupted themselves

Ironic Contrasts

I protected his good name when I was his servant, and now that I am (in a sense) hismaster, I wont stop protecting his good name.( p. 39)Balram respects Ashok as a master ever since he met him because he was unlike other masters and protected the rights a driver has, but because he couldnt become the man he really wanted to be its in Balrams best interests to kill Ashok, and he feels he has become Ashoks master because he believes you know a person better then anyone before they die. Adiga is contrasting the change once Balram killed Ashok he has effectively become his master, while Ashok has become the servant. Oppressed from the new rule of Balram, but too Adiga wanted to show that Balram did always respect Ashok, he just couldnt become the master he wanted him to be

Ironic Contrasts

These days, there are just two castes: Men with Big Bellies, and Men with Small Bellies. And only two destinies: eat or get eaten up.(p. 64)This is to identify the two parts of India, there are men with big bellies being typically the landlords and government officers, then there is the men with Small Bellies, comprising of slaves e.g. rickshaw pullers, drivers, tea shop workers. But there is nothing in between these two extremes, either your rich or poor its simple, unlike Australia where there are rich, middle and poor class people. The added sentence of the end about the two destinies, is to use an analogy to represent the situation in India for people, if your poor then the landlords will feed on you to the day you die, by using any of your resources. While the landlords eat as they make profit from their acquired power over the lands. Adiga is representing the contrast between the rich and the poor, while the rich have eaten themselves into becoming fat, this contrast with the poor who have little eaten and thus they have small bellies. Similar Adiga shows this contrast is in the densities where the rich have supreme power so they can eat, and when they have no more to eat they will feed of the resources of the poor until they eventually die.

Ironic Contrasts

I stopped the car, and then moved to my left, and he moved to his right, and out bodies passed each other (so close that the stubble on his face scraped my cheeks like the shaving brush that I use every morning, and the cologne from his skina lovely, rich, fruity colognerushed into my nostrils for a heady instant, while the smell of my servants sweat rubbed off onto his face), and then he became driver and I became passenger. (p. 94)This is the first instance where Balram and Ashok share a moment of intimacy. This moment is important as Balram describes the fleeting moment in detail and Balram understands Ashoks desire to drive the car. It demonstrates the physical intimacy between the two and an interchange between their positions. Adiga is demonstrating, that by switching seats between the two it has quickly contrasted the different positions between the two. The difference between the two is demonstrated only by wealth and when Ashok becomes the driver this is there only real difference.

Environmental Contrasts

These people were building homes for the rich, but they lived in tents covered with blue tarpaulin sheets, and partitioned into lanes by lines of sewage. It was even worse than Laxmangarh. I picked my way around broken glass, wire, and shattered tube lights. The stench of feces was replaced by the stronger stench of industrial sewage. The slum ended in an open sewer - a small river of black water went sluggishly past me, bubbles sparkling in it and little circles spreading on its surface. Two children were splashing about in the black water.

Balram contrasts the conditions between the poor and the rich, while they are ironically building ethical homes for the rich to live in, they themselves live in unethical conditions as their only shelter is a tarpaulin sheet surrounded by sewage lanes. The children play in this sewage while the children of the rich live in these building that the parents of the children living in poverty are tiredly working to build, while the riches parents oppress these workers.Adiga represents throughout the book contrast between the rich and the poor and how the rich always get whats better in life. Similarly he is showing hear how the rich have constantly oppressed the poor to use power to enforce them to build shelters for themselves while the poor live in shelters hardly ethical to cover an animal

Environmental Contrasts

When the veil is lifted, what will Bangalore be like? Maybe it will be a disaster: slums, sewage, shopping malls, traffic jams, policemen. But you never know. It may turn out to be a decent city, where humans can live like humans and animals can live like animals. A new Bangalore for a new India. And then I can say that, in my own way, I helped to make New Bangalore.Balram is speculating the future of India. And while much of the story is focused on escaping the darkness he so to emphasizing the near-impossibility of escaping the Darkness, which is likely Bangalores future. Even through Balrams success he truly doesnt believe India will never become a place where social mobility and dignity can be achieved without change the whole entire social structure which would require a revolution. Adiga is posing the two very different possibilities that India could be in the future of Balrams success, which would require radical change. He weighs up the likely possibility that is will be its usual self- slum ridden, police corrupted, jammed in traffic. Or it could become a civilised nation based of the structures of free countries as America, England and Australia. By showing these contrasting factors Adiga is emphasising such a journey for India would require the determination of Balram story, it would need a large group in unity to risk everything to make India the idealistic country that Australia strives for.

Environmental Contrasts

The rich of Delhi, to survive winter, keep electrical heaters, or gas heaters, or even burn logs of wood in their fireplaces. When the homeless, or servants like night watchmen who are forced to spend time outside in winter, want to keep warm, they burn whatever they can find on the ground.An ironic environmental contrast is the conditions to keep alive in the winter between the rich and the poor, while the rich have multiple resources that keep them warm the poor have to find resources to keep warm.Adiga is describing the contrasting environment of the men with big bellies compared to the men with small bellies. To get us on Balrams sight of view to break from the coop we must be opened up to the luxurious qualities of the environment that the rich live in compared to the flee ridden, diseased environments of the poor. By contrasting a conventional environment that the readers are used to, to a harsh environment that the poor must struggle to survive in we feel a sense of empathy to the poor and why Balram is determined to break the coop