Speaking Truth to Power: Postcolonial Insights in The White Tiger

Abstract

Through an analysis of The White Tiger, one can come to an understanding of what modern postcolonial writers have to say about the legacy of colonialism and the challenges of the new global order. The novel documents what is colloquially known as 'the dark underbelly' of India, introducing the reader not so much to the side of India that India wants to be but to a side of India that Indians prefer to keep hidden. This paper establishes a stance within the debate about ways of representing postcolonial India by spotlighting the fact that various aspects such as the cow metaphor, the cultural implications of the Hindu religion, colonial tourism, and the approach to the global economy in The White Tiger need to be understood and addressed. The current literary analyses reflect that although the phrase is prominent in the era, the discussions of what postcolonial writers truly have to say are a powerful and provocative part of the discussion, often demanding that their readers reassess the way they view the world. If concepts such as postcolonial discourse exist, this can only be because there is and has been a notable global discourse taking place about the implications of colonialism and the new world order.