The White Tiger

In Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger, Balram Halwai is a man who committed murder in order to become an entrepreneur. Adiga uses language and the concepts of capitalism to tell Balram's "success" story. He does this with a great humor and sarcasm. Throughout the novel Balram speaks as if everything is a business deal. He is trying to sell himself to the Premier of China by playing up his entrepreneurship: "Don't waste your money on those American books. They're so yesterday. I am tomorrow" (4). It is as if he is throwing out a sales pitch and waiting for Mr. Jiabao to fall prey to it. Balram goes on to say "(But if you absolutely must find out more about me, just log on to my Web site . . . That's the URL of my start-up!)" (38). Adiga uses this type of framework to poke fun at the capitalist ways. Balram achieving success in business through theft and murder, and him believing this is a moral and valid way to get ahead in life, shows the dark side of capitalism. The shadiness is within, yet everything on the outside seems perfect.

 

Entrepreneurship is seen in a negative light, not only in The White Tiger, but throughout the business world as well. However, many people have become very successful by starting their own businesses and promoting their ideas. People who are self employed are also considered entrepreneurs. "According to the 2008 reports from the US Census, almost 2,356 people move to entrepreneurship per day. This is a big figure. Even though not all of them succeed, the report puts entrepreneurship efforts of such people at 78% of US small businesses, whereby the overall earnings are estimated at a whopping $951 billion per year!"

Check out these people who weren't afraid to live out their dreams!

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The God of Small Things

 When Chacko tells the twins that history is a house the Kochamma family is locked out of, he meant that the history and past of the family had been lost. What they once were is no longer understood or remembered. Their heritage and self-pride had been stolen from them. He states that they had become a family of Anglophiles: “They were a family of Anglophiles. Pointed in the wrong direction, trapped outside their own history and unable to retrace their steps because their footprints had been swept away” (51). He compares their history to a house that the family can look inside, yet not see or hear anything. It is just shadows. “And when we look in through the windows, all we see are shadows. And when we try and listen, all we hear is a whispering. And we cannot understand the whispering, because our minds have been invaded by a war” (52). This illustration of the Kochamma family being locked out from their own history helps put into perspective their lack of self-worth and the problems caused by it.

One of the major themes throughout The God of Small Things is that of "small things." The characters in the novel are always so wrapped up in the "big things" of life, such as politics and the caste system. The "small things" are often overlooked and underappreciated. However, Velutha brings to light all the small things. He is in fact the god of small things. While reading this book, I was made to contemplate the "small things" in life that I take for granted or do not pay attention to. It is often the small things that give life meaning in the end. I was reminded of a list of "Things That Really Matter" that I had written 5 or so years ago. I went back and was able to find the list on my Facebook page. Here is what I find to be the "small things" in life that make all the difference.

God. sunrises. hugs. smiles. beauty. pictures. friendship. love. relaxation. peace. rain. kisses. laughter. sleep. compliments. the Bible. fun. rainbows. music. happiness. sunday afternoon naps. cuddles. flowers. surprises. birthdays. joy. family. vacation. blue skies. chocolate. inside jokes. deep conversations. health. dogs. walks. worship. holding hands. sunsets. compassion. paychecks. road trips. freedom. sweet tea. jesus time. dancing. butterflies. prayer. i love you's. honesty. promises.

Slumdog Millionaire

 

 

1. Does the film aestheticize (romanticize, make beautiful) the slums of Mumbai?

I do not believe the film aestheticized the slums of Mumbai. From the very beginning you see the filthiness and poverty of the slums. One particular scene that stands out in my mind is that of Jamal literally jumping into a hole that the people used as a toilet. It was disgusting, but in a way it represented the atmosphere that he lived in every day. The streets and homes of the slums were not shown as being clean or luxurious in any way. One scene that showed a violent side of the slums was the scene in which Jamal's mother was killed. She was killed during some sort of religious attack. This did not aestheticize the slums, but showed it as an unsafe place. Not just one person was in danger, but every woman, man, and child was in need of protection. There was not one time where I felt the slums were made beautiful or romanticized. The film did a wonderful job of capturing the reality of Mumbai and its people.

 

The Real Slums of Mumbai
 

 



According to the United Nations, one billion people worldwide live in slums, and 55% of the population of Mumbai lives in slums, which cover only 6-8% of the city’s land.

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Mumbai is the most populated city in the world with approximately 14 million people living in the proper city itself, not including areas considered the urban area or the metropolitan area.
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With a surface Area of 603 (km²). The Population density in Mumbai is 23,088 (/km²) 

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Approximately 7 million people live in slums in Mumbai.

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It is said that 72.48% of this slum population is literate.
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Dharavi, Asia’s second largest slum is located in central Mumbai and houses a population of between 600,000 and 1 million people.
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Roughly about one-third of the world’s poor people live in India. More than 450 million Indians exist on less than $1.25 a day, according to the World Bank.

(All data from indiamarks.com)

 

 

Check out this book Beautiful Forevers' to take a closer look at the slums of Mumbai.