Prince Bahugun
Mrs. Colwell
ENG 2S0
June 3, 2015
The White Tiger
People that spend extensive periods of time with their peers can impact their behavior and perspective on the world. In the novel, The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, Mr. Ashok, a man who holds wealth and power, influences Balram. Because of this Balram learns to adapt to India’s corruption. Therefore, he learns that to be successful in a corrupt society you must inhabit immoral ways, meaning you must become corrupt yourself.
Mr.Ashok is a successful man who is Balram’s “mentor”. Throughout their experiences together, he unintentionally teaches corrupt lessons to Balram to become successful like himself. One of the first corrupt lessons he teaches is when he shows Balram he has…show more content… Ashok’s immoral lessons to Balram make him change the way he works and adapt the corrupt Indian lifestyle. One of the first times Balram applies Mr. Ashok’s lessons is when he reveals the truth about Ram Persad. Balram narrates, “‘Mohammad Mohammad was a poor, honest, hardworking Muslim, but he wanted a job at the home of an evil prejudiced landlord who didn’t like Muslims-so, just to get a job and feed his starving family, he claimed to be a Hindu! And took the name of Ram Persad’...I was servant number one from now on in this household”(92). Balram knows if he reveals the truth about Ram, he will have to leave and Balram will become the head servant and make more money. Afterwards, Balram still applies the corrupt lessons in his life, this will help him get a step closer to wealth. This time he takes action to raise his pay and make more than an average servant. Balram starts to believe Mr. Ashok does not pay him enough and admits, “I cheated my employer. I siphoned his petrol; I took his car to a corrupt mechanic who billed him for work that was not necessary; and three times, while driving back to Buckingham B, I picked up a paying customer”(195). Once Balram realizes he will not be successful without him being corrupt, he starts to take actions such as these. So it does not matter who you are, if he needs to backstab you or cheat you to be successful, Balram will. Finally, perhaps the most important event in the novel. Balram has become so corrupt he murders his “mentor, Mr. Ashok to escape his destiny. He takes action, “the bottle down. The glass ate his bone. I rammed it three times into his crown of his I rammed skull, smashing through to his brains” (244). Throughout the novel Balram observes his boss during many experiences together, he learns the way higher class people operate and what it takes to become a wealthy individual. A corrupt action Balram takes is murdering Mr. Ashok so he can take over his duties as the boss. This leads to him being a