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Last Man in Tower
White Tiger
Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga
Searing. Explosive. Lyrical. Compassionate. Here is the astonishing new novel by the Man Booker Prize–winning author of The White Tiger, a book that took rage and anger at injustice and turned it into a thrilling murder story. Now, with the same fearlessness and insight, Aravind Adiga broadens his canvas to give us a riveting story of money and power, luxury and deprivation, set in the booming city of Mumbai (these comments are from the Publisher). Click here to read the full book review.
| 1. | What are some of the major themes of the novel? How does Adiga set them forth even in the first pages through his description of Vishram Society? What do you think the banyan tree symbolizes? |
| 2. | The novel begins, “If you are inquiring about Vishram Society, you will be told right away that it is pucca—absolutely, unimpeachably pucca.” What does the word pucca mean? Why is this fact about Vishram important to the story? |
| 3. | How does Adiga use humor as social commentary? |
| 4. | Why is Masterji so respected at the beginning of the novel? How would he be treated in the United States? |
| 5. | On page 7, there is a quote adapted from the Bhagavad Gita: “I was never born and I will never die; I do not hurt and cannot be hurt; I am invincible, immortal, indestructible.” Which characters in the novel seem to feel this way? |
| 6. | According to Masterji, his wife’s favorite saying was “ ‘Man is like a goat tied to a pole.’ Meaning, all of us have some free will but not too much” (page 41). Does this prove true for him? |
| 7. | There are dozens of scenes that revolve around food. What do the characters’ eating habits tell us about them? |
| 8. | Is Dharmen Shah a villain? What are his intentions? Who else might be considered a villain in the story? |
| 9. | Discuss Masterji’s friendship with Mr. and Mrs. Pinto. Does envy come into play? How does the offer change their relationship? |
| 10. | What is the symbolism behind Mr. Kothari’s flamingos? What are some of the other characters’ influential memories? |
| 11. | There are several instances of betrayal in the novel. Whose struck you as most shocking? |
| 12. | The offer brings out many different emotions and reactions from the residents of Vishram. In general, how is the reaction of the women different from that of the men in the building? |
| 13. | Several of the characters have children, Masterji included. How does their role as parents influence their decision-making? How does parenting in the novel’s modern-day India compare to parenting in the United States? |
| 14. | After reading the sign his neighbors have posted criticizing him, Masterji thinks, “A man is what his neighbours say he is” (page 196). Is this true in the novel? How does that notion affect Masterji? Do you think the neighbors’ opinions were entirely new or had just lain dormant until he refused the offer? |
| 15. | What role does class play in the story? How does the neighbors’ treatment of Mary and Ram Khare reflect their attitudes in general? |
| 16. | Why do you think Mr. Pinto changes his mind about accepting the offer? Is it only about the money or are there other reasons as well? |
| 17. | When Shah hears the news about Masterji, he says, “ ‘I thought it would be a push down the stairs, or a beating at night. That’s all…I forgot we were dealing with good people’” (pages 358–359). What does he mean? |
| 18. | Why does Ajwani refuse to sign? |
| 19. | The last line of the novel is, “Nothing can stop a living thing that wants to be free.” What is this referring to? |
| 20. | Why doesn’t Masterji just agree to sell? What would you have done? |
These questions are provided by the Publisher.
White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Winner of the 2008 Man Booker Prize, White Tiger and its author Aravind Adiga is introduced by the publisher as a major literary talent. The White Tiger offers a story of coruscating wit, blistering suspense, and questionable morality, told by the most volatile, captivating, and utterly inimitable narrator that this millennium has yet seen (these comments are from the Publisher). Click here to read the full book review.
| 1. | The author chose to tell the story from the provocative point of view of an exceedingly charming, egotistical admitted murderer. Do Balram's ambition and charisma make his vision clearer? More vivid? Did he win you over? |
| 2. | Why does Balram choose to address the Premier? What motivates him to tell his story? What similarities does he see between himself and the Premier? |
| 3. | Because of his lack of education, Ashok calls Balram "half-baked." What does he mean by this? How does Balram go about educating himself? What does he learn? |
| 4. | Balram variously describes himself as "a man of action and change," "a thinking man," "an entrepreneur," "a man who sees tomorrow," and a "murderer." Is any one of these labels the most fitting, or is he too complex for only one? How would you describe him? |
| 5. | Balram blames the culture of servitude in India for the stark contrasts between the Light and the Darkness and the antiquated mind set that slows change. Discuss his rooster coop analogy and the role of religion, the political system, and family life in perpetuating this culture. What do you make of the couplet Balram repeats to himself: "I was looking for the key for years / but the door was always open"? |
| 6. | Discuss Balram's opinion of his master and how it and their relationship evolve. Balram says "where my genuine concern for him ended and where my self-interest began, I could not tell" (160). Where do you think his self-interest begins? |
| 7. | Compare Ashok and his family's actions after Pinky Madam hits a child to Balram's response when his driver does. Were you surprised at the actions of either? How does Ashok and his family's morality compare to Balram's in respect to the accidents, and to other circumstances? |
| 8. | Discuss Balram's reasons for the murder: fulfilling his father's wish that his son "live like a man," taking back what Ashok had stolen from him, and breaking out of the rooster coop, among them. Which ring true to you and which do not? Did you feel Balram was justified in killing Ashok? Discuss the paradox inherent in the fact that in order to live fully as a man, Balram took a man's life. |
| 9. | Balram's thoughts of his family initially hold him back from killing Ashok. What changes his mind? Why do you think he goes back to retrieve Dharam at the end of the novel? Does his decision absolve him in any way? |
| 10. | The novel offers a window into the rapidly changing economic situation in India. What do we learn about entrepreneurship and Balram's definition of it? |
| 11. | The novel reveals an India that is as unforgiving as it is promising. Do you think of the novel, ultimately, as a cautionary tale or a hopeful one? |
These questions are provided by the Publisher.