Eurocentrism in the novel "The White Tiger" by Arvind Adiga

Eurocentrism in “The White Tiger” by Arvind Adiga

Introduction:

            Arvind Adiga was born in Madras (Chennai) on 23 October, 1974. His family is highly educated. He grew up in Mangalore. He completed his SSLC in 1990 with first rank in the state. He studied English literature in Columbia College, New York. There he graduated as salutatorian. He also studied at Magdalen College, Oxford.

                As a financial journalist, Adiga started his journalistic career. He joined the Financial Times. Then he got opportunity to join “Times”, where he remained a south Asia correspondent for three years before going Freelance. During his Freelance period, he wrote “The White Tiger”. He currently lives in Mumbai, India.

About the novel:

            “The White Tiger” is Adiga’s debut novel, which was awarded by Man Booker Prize in 2008 (the same year of its publication). Adiga is the forth Indian born author to win the prize.

                “The White Tiger” is a satirical fiction which is written in epistolary form. We can find dark humour here. This is a highly satirical novel, which points out the dark side of India. The mood and tone of the novel seem sometimes very harsh, which cannot be digested by any Indian mind. Adiga recurrently tells in the novel that,

“Please understand, your Excellency, that India is two countries in one: an India of Light, and an India of Darkness.”

                This novel is written as a letter to a Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao. Flashback technique is used in the novel. The language is Indian English. Many Indian words and terms are kept as it is, so that the Indian mood can be maintained.

                Balram Halwai is the protagonist of the novel. Rather he is an anti-hero. There is not any antagonist in the novel. But we can say that society and situation is real antagonist here. The novel moves through various locations of India including Laxmangarh, Delhi, Dhanbad, Bangalore etc. The novel is from the point of view of Balram, who is described as a Eurocentric person. Balram is actually the mouthpiece of Adiga himself.

                Two sides of one country, the cast system, globalization, India’s  relationship with China, freedom and individualism, conflict of class, good v/s evil, old morality v/s new morality are some of the major themes of the novel. Rooster coop, chandelier, cars, green lizard are some of the symbols used in the novel.

                In many ways this novel seems a Eurocentric novel. The ideas presented in such a way that Whitemen’s country is privileged over India. Let’s have look that how eurocentrism works in the novel.

What “Eurocentrism” exactly is ?

                Eurocentrism is a term which shows a world view that puts Europen norms and values as normal and superior to others. It shows the European dominance around the world.

                The main thing is eurocentrism is the binary opposition between the white world and the black world. These two binaries are juxtaposing with each other. In this term Whiteman’s world is shown and considered as modern, civilized, developed and progressive while the ‘other’ world is seen as uncivilised, backward, underdeveloped and dark. The term sees black and indigenous people as barbarian. In a way this term is juxtaposing with post colonialism and orientalism. 

“The continuous organization of power along these lines, both on a transnational level and within societies, is what Anibal Quijano has called the ‘coloniality of power’.

                Samir Amin’s Eurocentrism (1988) have pointed out the production of Eurocentric knowledge by Europe’s connection with orient. Eurocentric knowledge has constructed the orient as distinct identity and entity. The difference between orient and occident is not accommodating the experience of Latin America, which is a part of occident. In America, Eurocentrism works in different ways. Eurocentrism has a discursive tendency to donate the histories, societies and cultures of non-Europeans from a European or Western perspective. When this happens in any form of literature, it is called a Eurocentric literary work. These are some characteristics and common features of Eurocentrism:

Ø Ignoring or undervaluing non European societies as inferior to Western.

Ø Ignoring or undervaluing what Asians or African do within their own societies, or seeing the histories of non European societies simply in European terms. And as a part of “The Expansion of Europe” and its civilising influence.

Ø Non-European people and societies are seen as dependent, weak and slave like. And in comparison to it Western people see themselves as free and individual.

Ø Non-European societies are Islamic or pagan, or believe in strange religions which are inferior to Christianity, or lack its truth.

Ø Non-European societies are seen as cruel and feelingless. They have less concern for human life. And they practices barbaric customs.

Ø Non-European societies are seen as stagnant, unchanging and rigid. Some European thinkers have attributed this inflexibility to climate that is with extreme heat and dryness.

Ø Non-European societies are believed as less rational and they are lacking scientific approaches.

“The White Tiger” as a Eurocentric novel:

                In this novel we can find many aspects of Eurocentrism. This novel basically deals with negative sides of India, but there we can find constant comparison with America and China also. Yes, China is an Asian country. And considering our country as inferior to China can be seen as new form of Eurocentrism. Because the economical and industrial condition of China is now strong like Europe has once.

                Eurocentrism is in a way not a negative term, because it shows a mirror image of a country with all bad and bitter aspects. But it is also true that to slander our own country only because it is not like European country is quite a problematic thing. The reason is we all carry our country within us. We are not at all separate from our country. Our country and we both are mirror image of each other. Both are reflection of each other.

Now let’s see that how Eurocentrism works in the novel.

·       Ignoring or undervaluing non European societies as inferior to Western.

         In this novel we can see this thing very clearly. Each and every event of the novel shows the West as something superior. We can see the attitude of Pinky madam, who always wants to go back to America. The father and brother of Mr.Ashok also see America as something superior. Mr.Ashok wants to stay here. But it is also because here he can get servants in an easier way than America. He also does not see India as an individual country. See these lines which, Ashok speaks to Pinky madam.

“...The way things are changing in India now, this place is going to be like America  in ten years. Plus, I like it better here. We’ve got people to take care of us here-our drivers our watchman, our masseurs. Where in New York will you find someone to bring you tea and sweet biscuits while you are still lying in bed, the way Ram Bahadur does for us?”

                So, in this way these lines show that India is mostly the country of servants. And another thing is India will be proved changed or developed only when it has situation like America. Means America is the standard to evaluate India’s progress. This is a kind of ignorance towards India.

·       Seeing the histories of non-European societies simply in European terms.

        This can also be seen in this novel. It means they are undervaluing what non-Europeans do within their societies.

        By the use of Balram, Adiga mocks at many traditions of India. No doubt some traditions are not good for environment here. But they are mocked from the European sight. For example ‘cast system’. Now, they have also not come out from class system still. Still some white people see Blacks as something ‘unnatural’. Then, what’s the purpose of criticising the cast system of India, with such a harsh tone ? The same thing comes when the China comes in the novel. See the words of Mr.Ashok.

“...But I told you, there's only one thing wrong with this place—we have this fucked-up system called parliamentary democracy. Otherwise, we'd be just like China—”

Again Mr.Ashok says to his father.

“…parliamentary democracy, Father. We will never catch up with China for this single reason.”

                These all Indian things are certified from ‘their’ perspective. And this is another aspect of Eurocentrism.

·       Non-European societies tend to be despotic and servile, as against the West’s freedom and individualism.

                Here comes Pinky madam and her attitude. Her force to Ashok for going back to America shows this thing. She does not at all like the family system of India, which takes her freedom away from her.

                And Balram’s all descriptions about his granny and other family members show this thing. His grandmother, the way she is dominating over the family, shows the wrong side of family system. And all his masters attitude towards him also shows the tyrannical mentality of Indian masters towards their servants. And the mentality of ruling over the lower people is also shown here. In short, in this novel we find this Eurocentric idea that, ‘here masters have no habit of mastery and servants have no habit of freedom.’

·       Non-European societies are Islamic or pagan, or believe in strange religions which are inferior to Christianity, or lack its truth.

                   This is not shown clearly in this novel, but religion is surely mocked here. In the incident of Balraam and Ram Prasad, we can see that how for getting job Ram Prasad changes his religious identity and pretends of becoming Hindu, though he is Muslim.

                In this novel we don’t find Christianity anywhere. But the religion is considered as something dark. See Balram’s comment on a Lord Hanuman,

“Do you know about Hanuman, sir? He was the faithful servant of the god Rama, and we worship him in our temples because he is a shining example of how to serve your masters with absolute fidelity, love, and devotion.”

·       Non-European societies practise barbaric customs towards humans. And they are rigid, unchanging and inflexible.

                In this novel we can find this phase of our country. That how the family of Balram has to give dowry to his sister’s in laws and then how they get dowry from Kishan’s in laws.

                The non-Europeans have lack concern for human life. That we can see in the death of Balram’s father. How he dies because of tuberculosis and lack of medicinal care. And we can see how Balram’s family considers him not as human, but as money-machine. How our people put the dead bodied into a holy river on the name of customs.

                It is shown that not only poor, backward people but also the high class people are also rigid in India. Only Ashok is open-minded, but then he is shown as America return person. The people around Balram are shown as stone, which cannot move by itself.

·       Non-European societies are poor and underdeveloped as opposed to rich and industrial west. And the society is lacking rational mode of thinking.

                See this description:

“...Ganga called the river of emancipation and hundreds of American  tourists come each year to take photographs of necked sadhus at Hardwar or Banaras...”

                The Western’s all interests remain in poverty and rigidity of backward India. They don’t want to see the India of light. This novel also shows it. And see this dialogue between Mr.Ashok and his father.

"Do you have to hit the servants, Father?"

"This is not America, son. Don't ask questions like that."

 "Why can't I ask questions?"

"They expect it from us, Ashok. Remember that—they respect us for it."

           These four-five lines tell so many things about India’s slave mentality. It shows that we people are habituated of beating. We have not self respect and we want our masters (now, virtually it’s America.) to beat us. This is also a kind of Eurocentric idea. And see these lines of stork.

“He got into politics because he had to, Ashok—you don't have a choice in the Darkness. And don't panic, we can deal with this income tax charge. This is India, not America. There's always a way out here.”

                This shows India’s corrupt people, rather mass. So, in this way the term eurocentrism works in this novel. Adiga puts all the negative sides of India to ridicule it from the European sight and perspective.

                It is true that every country has its own light and darkness. It does not mean that we become harsh towards it and become a Eurocentric person. So, we can see here the unhealthy comparison of India’s darkness with West’s light.