The Setting

1. URBAN VS. RURAL DIVIDE

•  Rural Laxmangarh: Balram Halwai, the protagonist, is born in the village of Laxmangarh, which represents the oppressive rural inland of India. The village is characterized by extreme realities of poverty, like in Balram’s family case like many others, is trapped in a cycle of debt bondage to the landlords, which are the ‘Four Animals’ and unable to improve their circumstances. In addition, opportunities for economic advancement are scarce in Laxmangarh because of the caste system in India limits the mobility of the lower classes to have better life. The village is also governed by feudal power structures, with landlords like the Buffalo control over the lives of the villagers by exploiting their tenants through intimidation, extracting surplus value from their labor while keeping them in continuous poverty.

• Urban Delhi: In contrast, Delhi represents modern, capitalist India, with its rapid economic growth and technological advancements unlike the rural village. The urban characterized by symbol of privileged class of urban elite in Delhi as represented by Pinky Madam who is a daughter of wealthy parents and the wife of Mr. Ashok enjoys a life of luxury and privilege, shielded from harsh realities faced by the poor. Furthermore, Mr. Ashok, who is also a member of the urban elite has connection that built on corruption to influential figures in business and politics that enable him to maintain his privileged position within society and gain a competitive edge in the cutthroat world of Delhi’s business elite but also keep systemic injustice and inequality, as resources are diverted away from projects that could benefit the poor.

3. SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION

• Darkness: This setting refers to rural areas like Laxmangarh, where Balram is born and raised. These areas are marked by extreme poverty, lack of infrastructure and limited access to education and healthcare. Moreover, people are trapped in a rigid social hierarchy in terms of their dictated caste and economic limitation. This is because they are exploited by the landlords who hold economic and social power. The ‘Darkness’ also symbolizes ignorance, by the villagers are kept in a state of ignorance, that might be caused by the lack of educational opportunities and by the oppressive social structures that discourage their aspiration for a better life.

• Light: In comparison, ‘Light’ refers to urban settings like Delhi, where there is wealth, better infrastructure and more opportunities for education and employment. However, while cities offer opportunities, they are also places where the rich live in the luxury and the poor also work in bondage. Hence, the economic divide can be seen more visible in the cities, with the wealthy enjoying privileges that the poor can only dream of. Cities are also depicted as places where someone like Balram can aspire to and achieve a higher socio-economic status. For him, moving to the city symbolizes his pursuit of knowledge and a place where he can break free from the limitations imposed by his caste.

                                                             Substantiations

1. Page 128-129

“… drove them to their new home, which was up on the thirteenth floor of a gigantic apartment building. The name of the apartment building was Buckingham Towers B Block. It was next to another huge apartment building, built by the same housing company, which was Buckingham Towers A Block. Next to that was Windsor Manor A Block. And there were apartment blocks like this, all shiny and new, and with nice big English names, as far as the eye could see. Buckingham Towers B Block was one of the best - it had a nice big lobby, and a lift in the lobby that all of us took up to the thirteenth floor.”

From this text, we can see the luxurious apartment buildings such as Buckingham Towers and Windsor Manor symbolize the splendidness and comfort of the rich. These tall buildings are described “shiny and new”, indicating their exclusivity and modernity, which sharply contrast with the conditions of the rural and urban poor. Moreover, the physical elevation of these apartments can be metaphorically representing the social and economic heights the wealthy occupy and detached from the struggled experienced by the lower classes like Balram who resides in cramped and dark quarters. In addition, the act of shopping at a mall and returning to a tall apartment with numerous shopping bags by Pinky Madam and Mr. Ashok further emphasize the behaviour of the rich showcasing and displaying their material wealth.

2. Page 131

"It was horrible, this room. The floor had not been finished, and there was a cheap whitish plaster on the walls in which you could see the marks of the hand that had applied the plaster. There was a flimsy little bed, barely big enough even for me, and a mosquito net on top of it. It would do. The second night, I did not sleep in the dormitory - I went to the room. I swept the floor, tied the mosquito net to four nails on the wall, and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, I understood why the mosquito net had been left there. Noises woke me up. The wall was covered with cockroaches, which had come to feed on the minerals or the limestone in the plaster; their chewing made a continuous noise, and their antennae trembled from every spot on the wall. Some of the cockroaches landed on top of the net; from inside, I could see their dark bodies against its white weave. I folded in the fibre of the net and crushed one of them. The other cockroaches took no notice of this; they kept landing on the net - and getting crushed."

From the text, we can see the harsh realities faced by the underprivileged like Balram from the vivid descriptions of the environment where all the servants reside. The description of Balram’s room with unfinished floors, cheap plasters on the walls and the attack of cockroaches highlights the pathetic living conditions of the working class. This shows striking contrast to the luxurious setting enjoyed by the rich, indicating the severe class disparity. Furthermore, the physical discomfort and filthiness of Balram’s room symbolize dehumanizing conditions with the constant presence of cockroaches that typically associated with filth further symbolizes the degradation the lower class endure under the exploitation. This environment reflects the lack of investment in the well-being of the working class, who are considered unworthy of decent living conditions. In addition, Balram’s experience in this room, separated from the wealth and comfort of his employers, illustrate his isolation. Over time, the constant dehumanization leads Balram to an act of rebellion, murdering his employer, Mr. Ashok. This act represents his ultimate rejection of the oppression system that can push individuals towards extreme measures.