The White Tiger

The White Tiger  – The novel is a dark, humorous story narrated through a series of letters written by the protagonist, Balram Halwai, to the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao. Balram recounts his journey from a life of poverty in a rural Indian village to becoming a successful entrepreneur in Bangalore, a path that ultimately involves corruption and murder. Balram is born into a poor family in the village of Laxmangarh, part of what he calls the “Darkness,” where people are trapped in a “Great Indian Rooster Coop” of servitude and poverty. Despite being the “White Tiger” (the smartest boy in his school), he is forced to leave school and work in a tea shop.