Order & Sequence: The Foreshadowing

⛔ELEMENTS OF FORESHADOWING

/SYMBOLS/

1. The White Tiger

The white tiger symbolizes Balram's uniqueness and determination to escape from societal constraints which represents his desire and individualism
The working class fighting the ruling class and the importance of revolution to overcome oppression and achieve social and economic freedom

2. Chandelier

The chandelier represents luxury, wealth and success, which reflects Balram's aspirations to raise his low social status.
Balram's desire to overcome the inequality and oppression in the capitalist society in order to achieve a better life.

3. The rooster coop

The rooster coop symbolizes how servants and the lower classes are bound and forced to be obedient and work without any fair treatment which represents the way the capitalist system traps workers without fair wages, opportunities for advancement and basic human right.

4. The yellow man

represents people of Asian origin who are wealthy and who dominate the economic and social life which is a true reflection of the modern world's globalization and international politics.
Balram consider people from China like Mr. Jiabao as the representative of a new form of colonialism, where influence and economic power are used to exploit other countries.

5. The brown man

The brown man represents people of South Asian origin, including Balram himself.
This represent a specific category of workers who face exploitation and discrimination within capitalist systems.

6. The white-skinned man

The white-skinned man represents the Western influence and dominance over Indian society particularly through economic, cultural power and highly influential globally.
The presence of the white-skinned man represents the global bourgeoisie benefitting the exploitation of numerous countries.

7. The red bag

The red bag symbolizes the wealth accumulated through corruption and Balram's desire for social mobility. The corrupt practices suggest that Balram's future actions to acquire wealth through unethical means.

8. Men with big bellies and men with small bellies

Men with big bellies symbolizes excess wealth, resources and influence which they use it to maintain their social status and control over production.
men with small bellies symbolizes the working class who are preoccupied with the survival and must oblige the upper class.

"They are so yesterday. I am tomorrow."

Don't waste your money on those American books. They're so yesterday. I am tomorrow. - Page 13

“They are so yesterday” suggest that the West tends to follow its own ideologies, ways of thinking, and methods that the West believes many countries will adopt because of their advancement and development. However, Balram consider himself as "tomorrow" to prove his forward thinking for his future.
It also illustrates his increasing eagerness to change his social status and do things his own way, rejecting the Western culture to escape from the bourgeoisie.

"He's half-baked. The country is full of people like him"

This dialogue shows how the bourgeoisie, as represented by the character of Mr. Ashok, view the proletariat as ‘half-baked’ because of their illiteracy and lack of knowledge.
It reveals the contrast between the upper class which has all the chances to gain knowledge, use technologies, and other types of knowledge while the lower class is growing up in poverty and struggling to provide for their children and gain an education.

"I was looking for the key for years but the door was always open."

This reflects Balram's realization about the opportunities that were available to him all along that he previously overlooked .
However, as Balram comes to realize that the door was always open symbolizing the potential for freedom through class consciousness and rejection of the dominant ideology which is the need to free oneself from bourgeoisie.

🟠 Character Apprehension : Balram's heart sank and he was about to turn away.

This reaction depicts Balram’s moments of hopelessness and resignation after persistent effort and another failure in his attempt.
These successive rejections show that it is almost impossible for the lower class to get a job without the help of an insider in improving his social class.

🟠 Character Reaction : Sir Mukesh looked at Balram with narrowed eyes.

Sir Mukesh squinting of his eyes depict the suspicion towards the individual from the lower caste people which shows the caste discrimination in the society.
His doubts suggest prejudice against Balram because of the lower caste background highlightings the prejudices of the upper classes make it difficult for the lower class to climb up the social ladder.

Balram kills Mr. Ashok on a rainy day ☔
Rainy days can be viewed as a sign that something unpleasant is going to happen. The rainy day shows the conflict and violence between Balram and Mr. Ashok
The cloudy and rainy weather symbolizes the bleakness of the capitalist society and the suffering that he has to go through as a worker under the exploitation of the upper class. Balram’s rebellion against Mr. Ashok during the rainy day reflects the possibility to challenge the power and escape from oppression.

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