Morality In The White Tiger

Standards of morality are often complex as morality is determined by different social aspects. In The White Tiger written by Aravind Adiga, it’s difficult to judge whether the protagonist Balram’s murder of his master, Mr. Ashok, is either completely moral or immoral, because there are so many circumstances surrounding Balram’s actions. Sacrificing his family’s lives and renouncing all the things that Mr. Ashok has done for him, Balram’s murder of his employer would be considered immoral according to social standard. However, from Balram’s perspective, the murder is necessary and moral since he greatly longs to be “a man” and uses the money that he steals from his master for good purposes. Indeed, the theme of morality plays an essential role in The White Tiger; the complexity of morality is shown through Balram’s murder, which is immoral from society’s view, but moral at the same time in Balram’s situation because it can help him to have a better life and use his master’s money for the common good.

During the story, Balram’s murder of Ashok can be considered immoral since it leads to the death of his family and is a treachery to his master. In the fifth night, Balram states in his letter to Mr. Jian Bao, a Chinese Premier, that he is “trapped in the Rooster Coop” (Adiga, 151). The Rooster Coop is Balram’s metaphor for describing the oppression of poor people, especially servants, who

In a corrupt society, the line between moral and immoral is blurred. People, especially the poor, have to coexist with corruption while trying to define their own sense of right and wrong. People’s definition of morality can go against society’s expectations when they want to escape from their hardships. While the Indian society in The White Tiger considers murder to be a brutal and immoral action, Balram embraces the murder as the only choice that can help him thrive for