Jamal FaqeeriLynchIb Extended Essay17 November 2017Analysis of the Minor Character in “The White Tiger” Any type of story whether a short story, a novel, an epic, or a theatrical play is a delicate piece of artwork where all pieces must aline to tell a fulfilling story. In every story there are certain components used to help convey every single part of the story. A major component of a story are the role that minor characters play. While the protagonist is the main character and the story revolves around him or her, the minor characters help to develop the story also.

The minor characters are able to propel the plot forwards. The minor characters greatly contribute to the plot because they can create conflicts, obstacles, and solutions. The minor characters also help to develop the personality of the main character. The interactions between the minor characters and the protagonist reveals the main characters intentions, personality, and ambitions. Also, minor characters can help set the tone and the mood of the scene. The contribution of the input of the minor characters help the reader further understand the scene. The New York Times bestseller,”The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga does an exceptional job of fulfilling the roles of all minor characters in order to convey the plot.

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The novel is about a slumdog named Balram who grows up in the slums of India, in the book portrayed as the darkness. He becomes the servant of a wealthy businessman for the majority of the book. In the book you see his character develop to a point where he is no longer going to be a servant to the master, but rather a master of himself and from there he becomes a wealthy businessman just like his master was. The intricate and deluxe plot in the book couldn’t have been developed without the help of the minor characters in the story.The minor characters of “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga help to articulate an intricate piece of artwork by creating minor characters that help the readers see the setting and historical context into further depth, also by creating minor characters showing the personality and ambitions of Balram, and by creating minor characters that help to develop the plot more into depth. A major supporting role in “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga is Vijay, even though he isn’t mentioned much he helps the reader to really understand the situation that India is in politically and socially. Vijay starts off as an inspiration for Balram at the beginning of the novel, he was the hero to Balram that rose from the darkness and developed himself into becoming a successful businessman, which eventually changed.

Vijay serves in the story as the character that portrays the problems wrong with the Indian government. There was an incident in the story when Balram attempted to vote for the election, the arrived and saw Vijay and other policeman. The votes had already been counted and Vijay’s party was favored but when Balram attempted to vote Vijay yelled,”.

..stamp him into earth”(Adiga 85).

This altercation between Balram and Vijay convey the corruption with politicians in India. Vijay, a man who Balram idolized as a just man who made it out the slums and now that when he has become a politician he has become corrupt, showing that politicians in India were corrupt no matter how much good was in their hearts. This successfully conveys to the readers the historical context and setting of “The White Tiger” with politicians being corrupt.

Also, Balram was the driver for his Master, Mr.Ashok and one day he was driving Vijay, who had become a politician and while the men were talking he overheard,”If he doesn’t have it ready, let me know. I’ll send some boys over to have a word with”(Adiga 232). Balram was driving Vijay and his men and these men were referencing Mr.

Ashok. They were referring to forcing Mr.Ashok, an extremely wealthy businessman pay a sum of money to them and if not then they would inflict violence on him. This specific scene helps the readers to understand the violence that was taking place among the wealthy and how shady the businessmen in India are to each other. These examples and many more help the reader to understand the historical context revolving around the story and the setting at which the story was placed.

The principal purpose for Vijay in,”The White Tiger” was to help the readers understand the historical context of the novel. Another, minor character in “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga that helps contribute to the historical context and setting of the story is Pinky Madam. Pinky Madam was the wife of the famous businessman, Mr.Ashok. She is originally from America but moved to India, in order to marry Mr.Ashok. Throughout the story she showed several incidents that contribute to the evolving world around the story.

One day, while Balram was driving Mr.Ashok and Madam Pinky, Madam Pinky was drunk and wanted the steering wheel. She took the steering forcefully and unfortunately she killed someone (Adiga 139).

The way that she wanted to handle it was to bribe the police but instead the family decided to place the blame on the servant, Balram. When Balram refused Pinky Madam and the other masters explained to him, “What I am describing to you here is what happens to drivers in Delhi everyday, sir. You don’t believe me-you think I’m making all this up…” (Adiga 144). The first reaction to the killing was to bribe the police not to tell anyone, and then to blame the incident on the servant, who was not even in the car when the accident happened. This whole situation helps the readers understand the high, “above the law” treatment that the rich and wealthy of India receive.

The reader know understand that in the story and even in India that the rich and wealthy are able to get away with any type of crime from blaming police or passing the blame onto someone else. Also, in the story, another scene when Pinky Madam is in the car she says, “”We’re driving past Ghandi, after just having given a bribe to a minister. It’s a fucking joke, isn’t it. (Adiga ch4). What Pinky Madam is doing here is hinting at something, how India as a whole has lost it’s prestigious name that Gandhi gave to him and now it is filled with violence, deception, and bribery. This helps the reader to understand the people of India are being fooled with the Gandhi making the people believe that they still are under a prestigious name but rather they are mistaken and the country has fallen under corruption.

Pinky Madam, was an American who had came and married Mr.Ashok, the view she gives through her different point-of-view helps the readers understand the historical context and setting of “The White Tiger” even more. Another character that also shows that minor characters help to provide the readers with historical context and to understand the setting better. It was the grandmother of Blram, Kusum. Kusum had traditional family values, she always sends Balram angry letters asking for money. She helps the reader understand the more social aspect of Indian society.

For example in the marital aspect, in the book it says, “After Balram’s father’s death, Kusum arranges Kishan’s marriage to a local girl in exchange for a large dowry,”(Adiga Ch2). This helps the readers understand more about the setting as well as the historical context. In terms of historical context readers now see that arranged marriage are a thing that happens in India through Kusum’s traditional action. Also, in terms of setting because readers understand that less developed countries, and poor people have arranged marriages. Kusum also tries to force an arranged marriage on Balram, but he declines. Also, in the book a prominent theme is the rooster cage, which Balram describes as the poor people of India living in a rooster cage, knowing they are going nowhere and will die soon but not taking any action and not helping each other escape. Balram becomes frustrated and exclaims, “but that he cannot keep living in a cage all his life” (Adiga Ch7). This shows the traditional rooster coup idea that Balram was talking about happening in India, and it helps the readers to understand the context of what’s happening and what is hindering Balram from escaping the rooster coup.

Kusum played as the character that described to the reader the historical ideal society model in India and how her supporting role was to try to force that traditional belief on Balram. Also, minor characters in “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga help to develop the personality and ambitions of Balram, a prominent character in doing this is Balram’s younger cousin, Dharam. Dharam in the book helps out to bring the emotional side of Balram, because in the book readers see him as he doesn’t care about anything except becoming a master, but Dharam brings the emotional aspect into Balram’s life. When, Dharam first arrived Balram had no type of remorse for him but eventually he started showing care and even one day he asked Mr.

Ashok for the day off to take Dharam to the zoo. This shows to readers Balram’s emotional side because before this point readers saw him as only caring about himself, Balram didn’t even care about his family’s well-being through his refusal to send money to them. He develops a relationship with Dharam and sees him as a little Balram, the readers are able to connect with Balram through the introducing of a minor character, Dharam. Another example is that in the very ending of the book after he has killed Ashok he has still brought along Dharam with him. In the end of the book he says he when you kill someone rich, the rich persons “people” come after your family and kill them, and he exclaims that he doesn’t even care and they were never gonna make it out the rooster coup or the darkness either way.This continues to show readers Balram’s affection towards this minor character and how much of an effect Dharam has played on his life.

Another minor character in “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga that helps to portray to readers Balram’s ambitions, personality, and strengths is a very small character in the book, Vitiligo-Lips. This is the nickname Balram gives him because of a skin disease on his lip, he is also a driver for another wealthy businessman. Him and Balram conversate every time that the masters go inside the mall because servants are not allowed inside the mall. This was explained to him by Vitiligo-Lips, that servants are not allowed inside the mall, this drives the inner ambitions of Balram.

Once he hears this, later on he comes back dressed up exactly as Mr.Ashok a wealthy businessman and enter the mall. This shows readers Balram’s ambition to not just be a servant to the master like Vitiligo-Lips.

This lets the reader understand fully that Balram doesn’t have need to be associated with servants standing outside and waiting for their masters at their cars but rather for Balram to be his own master and his ambitions to not stay trapped in the rooster coup, a prominent theme in “The White Tiger.” Also, another event with Vitiligo-Lips while Balram is waiting by the car is when Vitiligo-Lips offers him some paan, this was what the poor and servants of India chewed on. Balram refused. This pointed out to readers that these two events of not taking what Vitiligo Lips says but rather following his own mind show how he is individualistic, unique, and a white tiger.

The White Tiger that isn’t like the rest and has ambitions to not be like the rest. The role of Vitiligo-Lips serves to help the readers really first see the first time that Balram takes steps into becoming a master. When he gives up his old peasant and servant ways and when he starts to dress like a businessman. Vitiligo-Lips is the perfect minor character to let the readers see the inner ambitions of Balram because he challenges Balram, he challenges Balram’s mentality that he rants about the whole book dealing with how servants stay servants and poor people stay poor people and that no one tries to transition to a master. Any type of story whether a short story, a novel, an epic, or a theatrical play is a delicate piece of artwork where all pieces must aline to tell a fulfilling story.

In every story there are certain components used to help convey every single part of the story. A major component of a story are the role that minor characters play. While the protagonist is the main character and the story revolves around him or her, the minor characters help to develop the story also. The minor characters are able to propel the plot forwards.

The minor characters greatly contribute to the plot because they can create conflicts, obstacles, and solutions. The minor characters also help to develop the personality of the main character. The interactions between the minor characters and the protagonist reveals the main characters intentions, personality, and ambitions. Also, minor characters can help set the tone and the mood of the scene. The contribution of the input of the minor characters help the reader further understand the scene. The New York Times bestseller,”The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga does an exceptional job of fulfilling the roles of all minor characters in order to convey the plot. The novel is about a slumdog named Balram who grows up in the slums of India, in the book portrayed as the darkness. He becomes the servant of a wealthy businessman for the majority of the book.

In the book you see his character develop to a point where he is no longer going to be a servant to the master, but rather a master of himself and from there he becomes a wealthy businessman just like his master was. The intricate and deluxe plot in the book couldn’t have been developed without the help of the minor characters in the story.The minor characters of “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga help to articulate an intricate piece of artwork by creating minor characters that help the readers see the setting and historical context into further depth, also by creating minor characters showing the personality and ambitions of Balram, and by creating minor characters that help to develop the plot more into depth.

A major supporting role in “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga is Vijay, even though he isn’t mentioned much he helps the reader to really understand the situation that India is in politically and socially. Vijay starts off as an inspiration for Balram at the beginning of the novel, he was the hero to Balram that rose from the darkness and developed himself into becoming a successful businessman, which eventually changed. Vijay serves in the story as the character that portrays the problems wrong with the Indian government. There was an incident in the story when Balram attempted to vote for the election, the arrived and saw Vijay and other policeman. The votes had already been counted and Vijay’s party was favored but when Balram attempted to vote Vijay yelled,”.

..stamp him into earth”(Adiga 85). This altercation between Balram and Vijay convey the corruption with politicians in India. Vijay, a man who Balram idolized as a just man who made it out the slums and now that when he has become a politician he has become corrupt, showing that politicians in India were corrupt no matter how much good was in their hearts. This successfully conveys to the readers the historical context and setting of “The White Tiger” with politicians being corrupt. Also, Balram was the driver for his Master, Mr.

Ashok and one day he was driving Vijay, who had become a politician and while the men were talking he overheard,”If he doesn’t have it ready, let me know. I’ll send some boys over to have a word with”(Adiga 232). Balram was driving Vijay and his men and these men were referencing Mr.Ashok. They were referring to forcing Mr.Ashok, an extremely wealthy businessman pay a sum of money to them and if not then they would inflict violence on him. This specific scene helps the readers to understand the violence that was taking place among the wealthy and how shady the businessmen in India are to each other. These examples and many more help the reader to understand the historical context revolving around the story and the setting at which the story was placed.

The principal purpose for Vijay in,”The White Tiger” was to help the readers understand the historical context of the novel. Another, minor character in “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga that helps contribute to the historical context and setting of the story is Pinky Madam. Pinky Madam was the wife of the famous businessman, Mr.Ashok.

She is originally from America but moved to India, in order to marry Mr.Ashok. Throughout the story she showed several incidents that contribute to the evolving world around the story. One day, while Balram was driving Mr.Ashok and Madam Pinky, Madam Pinky was drunk and wanted the steering wheel. She took the steering forcefully and unfortunately she killed someone (Adiga 139). The way that she wanted to handle it was to bribe the police but instead the family decided to place the blame on the servant, Balram. When Balram refused Pinky Madam and the other masters explained to him, “What I am describing to you here is what happens to drivers in Delhi everyday, sir.

You don’t believe me-you think I’m making all this up…” (Adiga 144). The first reaction to the killing was to bribe the police not to tell anyone, and then to blame the incident on the servant, who was not even in the car when the accident happened. This whole situation helps the readers understand the high, “above the law” treatment that the rich and wealthy of India receive. The reader know understand that in the story and even in India that the rich and wealthy are able to get away with any type of crime from blaming police or passing the blame onto someone else. Also, in the story, another scene when Pinky Madam is in the car she says, “”We’re driving past Ghandi, after just having given a bribe to a minister. It’s a fucking joke, isn’t it.

(Adiga ch4). What Pinky Madam is doing here is hinting at something, how India as a whole has lost it’s prestigious name that Gandhi gave to him and now it is filled with violence, deception, and bribery. This helps the reader to understand the people of India are being fooled with the Gandhi making the people believe that they still are under a prestigious name but rather they are mistaken and the country has fallen under corruption. Pinky Madam, was an American who had came and married Mr.

Ashok, the view she gives through her different point-of-view helps the readers understand the historical context and setting of “The White Tiger” even more. Another character that also shows that minor characters help to provide the readers with historical context and to understand the setting better. It was the grandmother of Blram, Kusum. Kusum had traditional family values, she always sends Balram angry letters asking for money. She helps the reader understand the more social aspect of Indian society.

For example in the marital aspect, in the book it says, “After Balram’s father’s death, Kusum arranges Kishan’s marriage to a local girl in exchange for a large dowry,”(Adiga Ch2). This helps the readers understand more about the setting as well as the historical context. In terms of historical context readers now see that arranged marriage are a thing that happens in India through Kusum’s traditional action. Also, in terms of setting because readers understand that less developed countries, and poor people have arranged marriages. Kusum also tries to force an arranged marriage on Balram, but he declines. Also, in the book a prominent theme is the rooster cage, which Balram describes as the poor people of India living in a rooster cage, knowing they are going nowhere and will die soon but not taking any action and not helping each other escape.

Balram becomes frustrated and exclaims, “but that he cannot keep living in a cage all his life” (Adiga Ch7). This shows the traditional rooster coup idea that Balram was talking about happening in India, and it helps the readers to understand the context of what’s happening and what is hindering Balram from escaping the rooster coup. Kusum played as the character that described to the reader the historical ideal society model in India and how her supporting role was to try to force that traditional belief on Balram. Also, minor characters in “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga help to develop the personality and ambitions of Balram, a prominent character in doing this is Balram’s younger cousin, Dharam. Dharam in the book helps out to bring the emotional side of Balram, because in the book readers see him as he doesn’t care about anything except becoming a master, but Dharam brings the emotional aspect into Balram’s life. When, Dharam first arrived Balram had no type of remorse for him but eventually he started showing care and even one day he asked Mr. Ashok for the day off to take Dharam to the zoo.

This shows to readers Balram’s emotional side because before this point readers saw him as only caring about himself, Balram didn’t even care about his family’s well-being through his refusal to send money to them. He develops a relationship with Dharam and sees him as a little Balram, the readers are able to connect with Balram through the introducing of a minor character, Dharam. Another example is that in the very ending of the book after he has killed Ashok he has still brought along Dharam with him. In the end of the book he says he when you kill someone rich, the rich persons “people” come after your family and kill them, and he exclaims that he doesn’t even care and they were never gonna make it out the rooster coup or the darkness either way.This continues to show readers Balram’s affection towards this minor character and how much of an effect Dharam has played on his life.

Another minor character in “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga that helps to portray to readers Balram’s ambitions, personality, and strengths is a very small character in the book, Vitiligo-Lips. This is the nickname Balram gives him because of a skin disease on his lip, he is also a driver for another wealthy businessman. Him and Balram conversate every time that the masters go inside the mall because servants are not allowed inside the mall.

This was explained to him by Vitiligo-Lips, that servants are not allowed inside the mall, this drives the inner ambitions of Balram. Once he hears this, later on he comes back dressed up exactly as Mr.Ashok a wealthy businessman and enter the mall. This shows readers Balram’s ambition to not just be a servant to the master like Vitiligo-Lips. This lets the reader understand fully that Balram doesn’t have need to be associated with servants standing outside and waiting for their masters at their cars but rather for Balram to be his own master and his ambitions to not stay trapped in the rooster coup, a prominent theme in “The White Tiger.” Also, another event with Vitiligo-Lips while Balram is waiting by the car is when Vitiligo-Lips offers him some paan, this was what the poor and servants of India chewed on. Balram refused.

This pointed out to readers that these two events of not taking what Vitiligo Lips says but rather following his own mind show how he is individualistic, unique, and a white tiger. The White Tiger that isn’t like the rest and has ambitions to not be like the rest. The role of Vitiligo-Lips serves to help the readers really first see the first time that Balram takes steps into becoming a master.

When he gives up his old peasant and servant ways and when he starts to dress like a businessman. Vitiligo-Lips is the perfect minor character to let the readers see the inner ambitions of Balram because he challenges Balram, he challenges Balram’s mentality that he rants about the whole book dealing with how servants stay servants and poor people stay poor people and that no one tries to transition to a master.

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