Custom «The White Tiger: Social Classes» Essay Paper Sample

In the novel ‘The White Tiger,’ it is evident that the theme of social classes is well articulated by different characters in the novel. The theme clearly depicts itself, as is seen between the rich and the poor. At some instances, leadership, as a factor, also contributes to the existence of social gap between these two groups of people. When Dharman and Mr. Ashok were in the teashop, they came across a man who was not able to read the poster, thus requesting them to read the poster for him. This is the first instance that shows the struggle of the uneducated to get the attention of the knowledgeable. This comes about by the gap between the poor and the rich, where the poor do not afford the formal education, while the rich do. Further, as Dharma and his friend were strolling on the park one morning, they came across drunken men lying on the benches in the midst of thick weeds. On the other side of the road, there stood a huge stone building with golden lion on top of it, which to them it must have been the minister’s fortress. This is another patent comparison between the underprivileged and the wealthy way of life. The rich afford decent houses unlike the poor who even do not have a place, to call home.

Besides these, the author also draws a comparison of the people of Bangalore and the people of Mumbai. It is evident that the public in Bangalore live like animals in the jungle and work all the night. The town has no links with night buses or even the train system and the problem is how the residents of Bangalore go to work and come back, especially the girls. They use all the available means to access public services like transport. On the other side, the people of Mumbai are the masters of the people of Bangalore, they have well linked railway systems as well as night buses. This shows the oppression from the rich to the poor and this is seen in the contemporary society where the rich continue to oppress the poor.

In the novel ‘The White Tiger,’ the author brings the comparison of four leaders who had led various revolutions in their nations, to liberate their people. The author successfully brings in Hitler as a fourth leader, yet we know he killed the poor people in his country. Hitler symbolizes a leadership which is oppressive, uncaring to the poor, while Lincoln, Mao, and Alexander symbolize the leadership which recognizes the right of the people, especially the poor. At this point, it is evident that bad leadership increases the socio-economical gap between the poor and the rich. When a bad leader holds power, then the poor will be unfortunate and the rich will be enriching themselves.

The author also draws a big variation on how the police handle the rich, versus the poor. In case of an accident, when a man in the bicycle is killed, the police will not register the case; a man, however, killed on motorbike, will have their case registered. In the incident where the man is killed in a car, the one causing the accident will be jailed. This clearly illustrates that there exist the laws for the poor and the rich, that is, there is selective application of law, basing on the class. This application of double standards of the law exists on the modern society where the rich obtain different treatments by the law enforcers and in the corridors of justice.