Reader’s Den

Reader's Den: "The White Tiger," Week Two by Lynda Perez, Riverdale LibraryOctober 7, 2009

Hopefully, you were able to get yourself a copy of The White Tiger and are enjoying the novel as much as I did. Here are a few questions to think about:

Why is Balram addressing his letters to the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabo? What is his intention in writing these letters?

In the first chapter, Balram describes himself as "a thinking man" and "a man of action." Do you agree or disagree? What examples do we see that he is both?

What is the significance of the title, The White Tiger?

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Comments

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The title refers to the rare

Submitted by oxmoon (not verified) on October 13, 2009 - 4:55pm

The title refers to the rare breed of white tigers sometimes found in the jungles of West Bengal in India. Balram is that rare type of man who rises from poverty and "the darkness" to worldly success and acheivement.

Oxmoon, Yes! And Balram

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on October 15, 2009 - 1:20pm

Oxmoon, Yes! And Balram realized he was symbolically the white tiger early on when the school inspector pointed him out as the most intelligent student in his class. “That’s what you are (the white tiger), in this jungle.” While Balram didn’t take the traditional route toward success—through education, a good job, etc.—in the end, he still achieved his goal of living life “like a man” as his father hoped for. Lynda P.