The Main Character’s Ambition in Aravind Adiga’s Novel The White Tiger

Abstract

This research discusses about the main character’s ambition in Aravind Adiga’s novel The White Tiger, focusing on how the protagonist, Balram Halwai, is portrayed and how his ambition is depicted throughout the narrative. This research employs characterization theory and ambition theory to analyze Balram’s complex personality and his desire to escape his poverty. In this study, the writer used qualitative descriptive method to analyze the data. The data consists of words, phrases, clauses or even sentences selected from the novel The White Tiger as the data source. Based on the analysis, it could be found that Balram Halwai is portrayed as a smart, selfish, and highly ambitious individual. His intelligence and cunning allow him to navigate the oppressive social structures of his environment, while his selfishness allows him to pursue his ambitions without regard for ethical considerations. Balram's ambition is characterized by his strong desire to change his life from the darkness to the light and free. This drive drives him to commit acts of deception, violence and murder to realize his ambitions.