Language, Discourse and Social Identity
Name: Avni J Dave
Roll no: 03
Semester: 04
Paper no: 13 The New Literature
Topic: Language, Discourse and Social Identity
Submitted to: Smt S. B. Gardi Department of the English, MKBU
Language, Discourse and Social Identity
★ Language used in its various forms in the Postcolonial novels plays important roles as the novelist have made it a vehicle express Contesting ideological differences between classes, castes, generations, religions and races in the contemporary societal organization. Bakhtin'sconcept of`heteroglassia’particularly underscores these Conflicting function of the different forms of language operative in a society through its speakers and dialogic dynamism they receive in this matter. Language is not merely an abstract r;it is`realized in the form of concrete Utterances’ a participant makes in the social contexts. It is observed that the form of language the upper, superior class and caste people in the multicultural situation use is a means by which they establish their identity and control over others, the lower strata of the society, both the clssses and castes. It is a Dialectical form of language Displaying their social Superiority/status in the hierarchical set up. The lower classed struggle to adjust and, at the same time, revolt with a fire of intolerance. Language becomes a medium of fight with all sort of warfare loaded with socio-linguistic consciousness robet stam argues, “while the dominant class strives to make the sign`uni -accented’and endowed with an eternal, supra-class character, the oppressed, especially when they are conscious of their oppression, strive to deploy language for their liberation. "
★ The largest part of the narrative of `The White Tiger ’consists of Balram’s personal life and his activities for self assertion. But several social and political issues of the country have also been taken up for serious treatment. Of these most important are education, health, malnutrition, lack of amenities for the poor, worsening condition of the rural areas,, religion and workship, politics and political corruption. Indian’ irresponsible submersion in religion has added further Wretchedness to their Backwardness, illiteracy, poverty and dependence. I agree with that with “the ruthless audacity” Adiga has “unveiled the vulnerable issues of modern India, Highlighting an ever increasing chasm between the rich and poor” but disagree with her that the novelist is realist/naturalist in style in making the novel convulse.
★ The attractive markers such as physical, social and psychological provide evidential helpful to observe the personality of the protagonist, his mind and action as well as of other persons presented in the novel. ‘physical markers include sex, age, physique and state of health; social markers are regional affiliation, social and Adulational status, occupation and social role, and psychological markers indicate psychological characteristics of personality and affective state or mood.’ The understanding of these traits helps to peer into the personalities of the Protangonist and other characters. Balram has evolved out as unique, unsupported by any other persons, with his own deeds.
★ The title ‘The white tiger’ is symbolic in its resonance and reminds the readers of a rare, exclusive creature on the earth. In the novel, the symbol is transformed into a metaphor and is extended to signal out a boy grown young Entrepreneur, who has come of all the way in his life, Observed the corrupt world of ‘give and take’, of the rich and poor, and of the low castes person’ daily sufferings. His Uniqueness lies in his daring act to poor, between the illiterate and the literate, historically situated in the Indian social structure.
★ The personal life, family background and social status of the boy are described in the placid and sensible words. Balram had to leave the school and attend a tea-shop with krishan. Other boys from the school sarcastically comment on this being a coal breaker as “the creature that comes along Only once in a generation ’’the paradoxical comparison between `the white tiger’ and`a coal breaker’ can not change his social standing as they contradict each other. In the eyes of other people, though the techer and the inspector praised him as`the white tiger’, he is an ordinary, poor boy from the lower strata of the society without freedom and self identity, living in the`Darkness ‘, socially alienated in the structure of class and caste hegemony. The irony pervades his life as his identity is designed by the others And the binary opposition posits his intellectual acumen, socio-cultural background and dependent economic condition in contestation and his aspiration to become a respected businessman settled in his life.
★ As a secular state, India thinks that communal harmony is a central construct achieved in the ‘imagined community’ in the form of Independence but “fails to consider those who are excluded and marginalized such as women or lower classes, races or castes”. The parliamentary democracy, after independence, has provided a platform to the rogues in politics to harbour their personal interests and that of their followers ignoring the poor people. The communist party of India, with its manifesto aimed at the Welfare of the poor and workers, has failed in its drive to capture the political power as they could not convince the innocent voters to elect them. The great socialist who initially worked for the people indulged in corrupt practice and drifted away from the ideology, a representative of the Political outfit. In other words, most of the political parties, who ruled the country, have worked for the rich and privileged, leaving the deprived to their fate.
★ The structure of the society of India is based on the varna system yielding caste discrimination which has continued even after independence. But after independence the situation has radically changed as“… the cages had been let open;and the animals had attacked and ripped each other apart and jungle law replaced zoo law. Those that were the most ferocious, the hungriest, had eaten everyone else up, and grown big bellies . In the wake of independence, the caste practices diminished slightly but the class conflict gained strength and the rich-poor fissure developed firm roots in the indian soil giving birth to a different culture. This socio-political background has been fore -grounded in the novel.
★ In ‘white T-shirt’ and 'black shoes’, balram could change his indentity. He enters the mall with nerve which is a first sign of radical transformation taking place in his thought. The spying eyes, as he knows that of the watchmen, needed courage to question his identity or examine the system. He works out his plan systematically and proves that if a poor person acts with determination, he can achieve his objective. Most of the time he sits in “the lotus position” like the Buddha, lost in his meditation quite often, though it appears strange to other drivers. It is his attempt to find out self voice from within, enlightening his consciousness, the way of the life of`self-respect’that he is in search of, unperturbed. He is with the drivers but alienated, for the former endures their present social condition while he strives to release him from the social confinement and slavish mentality which is disgusting and torturing for him.
★ In the room, the protagonist shared with, ram prasad moves with masterly order, but the protagonist is like a slave, “adding thought to thought in the dark”. It is under the poverty that he puts up with him with disgrace. The departure of Ram Prasad alias Mohammad, a man living with his hidden identity, provides an opportunity to Balram to become a faithful and commading driver, and the opportunity automatically lands in his hands to accompany Mr. Ashok and Pinky madam to Delhi. The news received by his family members makes them feel proud and delevated, that one of their relative goes to new Delhi to make fortune “out of the Darkness”. . His appointment as a driver is a matter of social elevation and recognition of his driving skills. His relatives are awestruck to see him in the khaki dress. He could have never got an opportunity to go to Delhi and drive “an air-conditioned car!” in his life. As he moves forward in his personal life he ignores his close, blood relationship.
★ ‘The rooster coop’ is a metaphor reverberating with deeper meanings. It is a kind of pen for fowls, male and female, which remain insight awaiting their turn for sacrifice, ruled by their master, the butcher. In India, the poor people like servants and drivers are confined in a din, a kind of coop. They are mentally and physically enslaved and their movement is controlled by their masters order. Like flowls, they are slsve to their masters snd “do not rebel. They do not try to get out of the coop”. For example, the drivers of the rich families or landlords are faithful persons: “But leave a million dollar in front of a servant and he won ’touch a penny”. The protagonist describes their servile attitude and self-submission to the rich and high caste people as if their present obsequious social status is inevitable and natural.
★ However, there is symptom of change: “That fellow has balls’ one driver said. If all off us were like that, we’d rule India, and they would be polishing our boots”.
★ Having experienced that truth and honesty have no value in the country of mahatma Gandhi, Balram conjures up a false tale:`Any need of a delver, sir? I’ve four years’ experience. My master recently died, so I.’. He is by now cleaver enough to exploit the opportunity by using language which would appeal the landlord:“our father is gone, ThakurRamdevv is gone, the best of the landlords is gone, who will protect us now?”. He lies that he cooks`very well’.
Work Cited
Aravind, Adiga. An Anthology of Critical Essays. Ed. Shubha Mishra P.D.Nimsarkar. New Delhi: creative books, 2010.
Name: Avni J Dave
Roll no: 03
Semester: 04
Paper no: 13 The New Literature
Topic: Language, Discourse and Social Identity
Submitted to: Smt S. B. Gardi Department of the English, MKBU
Language, Discourse and Social Identity
★ Language used in its various forms in the Postcolonial novels plays important roles as the novelist have made it a vehicle express Contesting ideological differences between classes, castes, generations, religions and races in the contemporary societal organization. Bakhtin'sconcept of`heteroglassia’particularly underscores these Conflicting function of the different forms of language operative in a society through its speakers and dialogic dynamism they receive in this matter. Language is not merely an abstract r;it is`realized in the form of concrete Utterances’ a participant makes in the social contexts. It is observed that the form of language the upper, superior class and caste people in the multicultural situation use is a means by which they establish their identity and control over others, the lower strata of the society, both the clssses and castes. It is a Dialectical form of language Displaying their social Superiority/status in the hierarchical set up. The lower classed struggle to adjust and, at the same time, revolt with a fire of intolerance. Language becomes a medium of fight with all sort of warfare loaded with socio-linguistic consciousness robet stam argues, “while the dominant class strives to make the sign`uni -accented’and endowed with an eternal, supra-class character, the oppressed, especially when they are conscious of their oppression, strive to deploy language for their liberation. "
★ The largest part of the narrative of `The White Tiger ’consists of Balram’s personal life and his activities for self assertion. But several social and political issues of the country have also been taken up for serious treatment. Of these most important are education, health, malnutrition, lack of amenities for the poor, worsening condition of the rural areas,, religion and workship, politics and political corruption. Indian’ irresponsible submersion in religion has added further Wretchedness to their Backwardness, illiteracy, poverty and dependence. I agree with that with “the ruthless audacity” Adiga has “unveiled the vulnerable issues of modern India, Highlighting an ever increasing chasm between the rich and poor” but disagree with her that the novelist is realist/naturalist in style in making the novel convulse.
★ The attractive markers such as physical, social and psychological provide evidential helpful to observe the personality of the protagonist, his mind and action as well as of other persons presented in the novel. ‘physical markers include sex, age, physique and state of health; social markers are regional affiliation, social and Adulational status, occupation and social role, and psychological markers indicate psychological characteristics of personality and affective state or mood.’ The understanding of these traits helps to peer into the personalities of the Protangonist and other characters. Balram has evolved out as unique, unsupported by any other persons, with his own deeds.
★ The title ‘The white tiger’ is symbolic in its resonance and reminds the readers of a rare, exclusive creature on the earth. In the novel, the symbol is transformed into a metaphor and is extended to signal out a boy grown young Entrepreneur, who has come of all the way in his life, Observed the corrupt world of ‘give and take’, of the rich and poor, and of the low castes person’ daily sufferings. His Uniqueness lies in his daring act to poor, between the illiterate and the literate, historically situated in the Indian social structure.
★ The personal life, family background and social status of the boy are described in the placid and sensible words. Balram had to leave the school and attend a tea-shop with krishan. Other boys from the school sarcastically comment on this being a coal breaker as “the creature that comes along Only once in a generation ’’the paradoxical comparison between `the white tiger’ and`a coal breaker’ can not change his social standing as they contradict each other. In the eyes of other people, though the techer and the inspector praised him as`the white tiger’, he is an ordinary, poor boy from the lower strata of the society without freedom and self identity, living in the`Darkness ‘, socially alienated in the structure of class and caste hegemony. The irony pervades his life as his identity is designed by the others And the binary opposition posits his intellectual acumen, socio-cultural background and dependent economic condition in contestation and his aspiration to become a respected businessman settled in his life.
★ As a secular state, India thinks that communal harmony is a central construct achieved in the ‘imagined community’ in the form of Independence but “fails to consider those who are excluded and marginalized such as women or lower classes, races or castes”. The parliamentary democracy, after independence, has provided a platform to the rogues in politics to harbour their personal interests and that of their followers ignoring the poor people. The communist party of India, with its manifesto aimed at the Welfare of the poor and workers, has failed in its drive to capture the political power as they could not convince the innocent voters to elect them. The great socialist who initially worked for the people indulged in corrupt practice and drifted away from the ideology, a representative of the Political outfit. In other words, most of the political parties, who ruled the country, have worked for the rich and privileged, leaving the deprived to their fate.
★ The structure of the society of India is based on the varna system yielding caste discrimination which has continued even after independence. But after independence the situation has radically changed as“… the cages had been let open;and the animals had attacked and ripped each other apart and jungle law replaced zoo law. Those that were the most ferocious, the hungriest, had eaten everyone else up, and grown big bellies . In the wake of independence, the caste practices diminished slightly but the class conflict gained strength and the rich-poor fissure developed firm roots in the indian soil giving birth to a different culture. This socio-political background has been fore -grounded in the novel.
★ In ‘white T-shirt’ and 'black shoes’, balram could change his indentity. He enters the mall with nerve which is a first sign of radical transformation taking place in his thought. The spying eyes, as he knows that of the watchmen, needed courage to question his identity or examine the system. He works out his plan systematically and proves that if a poor person acts with determination, he can achieve his objective. Most of the time he sits in “the lotus position” like the Buddha, lost in his meditation quite often, though it appears strange to other drivers. It is his attempt to find out self voice from within, enlightening his consciousness, the way of the life of`self-respect’that he is in search of, unperturbed. He is with the drivers but alienated, for the former endures their present social condition while he strives to release him from the social confinement and slavish mentality which is disgusting and torturing for him.
★ In the room, the protagonist shared with, ram prasad moves with masterly order, but the protagonist is like a slave, “adding thought to thought in the dark”. It is under the poverty that he puts up with him with disgrace. The departure of Ram Prasad alias Mohammad, a man living with his hidden identity, provides an opportunity to Balram to become a faithful and commading driver, and the opportunity automatically lands in his hands to accompany Mr. Ashok and Pinky madam to Delhi. The news received by his family members makes them feel proud and delevated, that one of their relative goes to new Delhi to make fortune “out of the Darkness”. . His appointment as a driver is a matter of social elevation and recognition of his driving skills. His relatives are awestruck to see him in the khaki dress. He could have never got an opportunity to go to Delhi and drive “an air-conditioned car!” in his life. As he moves forward in his personal life he ignores his close, blood relationship.
★ ‘The rooster coop’ is a metaphor reverberating with deeper meanings. It is a kind of pen for fowls, male and female, which remain insight awaiting their turn for sacrifice, ruled by their master, the butcher. In India, the poor people like servants and drivers are confined in a din, a kind of coop. They are mentally and physically enslaved and their movement is controlled by their masters order. Like flowls, they are slsve to their masters snd “do not rebel. They do not try to get out of the coop”. For example, the drivers of the rich families or landlords are faithful persons: “But leave a million dollar in front of a servant and he won ’touch a penny”. The protagonist describes their servile attitude and self-submission to the rich and high caste people as if their present obsequious social status is inevitable and natural.
★ However, there is symptom of change: “That fellow has balls’ one driver said. If all off us were like that, we’d rule India, and they would be polishing our boots”.
★ Having experienced that truth and honesty have no value in the country of mahatma Gandhi, Balram conjures up a false tale:`Any need of a delver, sir? I’ve four years’ experience. My master recently died, so I.’. He is by now cleaver enough to exploit the opportunity by using language which would appeal the landlord:“our father is gone, ThakurRamdevv is gone, the best of the landlords is gone, who will protect us now?”. He lies that he cooks`very well’.
Work Cited
Aravind, Adiga. An Anthology of Critical Essays. Ed. Shubha Mishra P.D.Nimsarkar. New Delhi: creative books, 2010.
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