The Subaltern in the Neoliberal South Asian Megalopolis

Samia Majid

Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger (2008) charts the rise of the anti-hero Balram Halwai, the son of a rickshaw driver from Laxmangarh, India, who becomes a “self-taught entrepreneur” after murdering and stealing a large sum of money from his employer. But Balram’s journey begins in an abject condition as a member of the servant class, reflecting a legacy of caste-based debasement and modern neoliberal logic that defines human value solely by the capacity to serve others. India’s caste system is depicted as upholding the most ancient and enduring forms of injustice, sustained in contemporary conditions by the preservation of the status quo.

Samia Majid, Samia.Majid@northampton.ac.uk