"The White Tiger"

 I do agree with the statement that India is represented in this novel ‘White Tiger’. Here writer uses Balram Halwai as the symbol of ‘White Tiger.’ He is a servant, philosopher, entrepreneur and murderer. Here we can see that how Adiga has given image Balram’s journey from rags to the mountain peak. This shows that how mindset of people is constructed and whatever they do, they think it to be right. They want to become successful in a short period of time and for they find the easiest way possible. We all know India is full of corrupted and blind followers of religion, so many politicians, rigid and stubborn mindsets of people, business, democracy, crime, poverty, richness, India of light and darkness etc. I like the narrative style of Adiga because it shows the real image of India rather than sugar-coated things. Moreover literature not only shows the x-ray image of body but it provides the remedy also. Literature is fracturing the things which are already rotten in a way.

2) I believe that Balram’s story is an example of ‘rags to riches’.  For example in the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” same story like the White Tiger is depicted. In the movie the central figure Jamal is a poor man and at last he becomes rich. So in the same way in the White Tiger we can say that Jamal and Balram Halwai as men of ‘rags to riches’. Balram begins life in a poor village but murders his boss and steals a large sum of money to become a self-made entrepreneur.

3) As we can see that in the theory of deconstruction, language bears within itself. And that is the thing we can also see in the novel that Balram Halwai calls himself as a half-baked man and the whole story also. So how can we rely on the half baked man? So from this point view we can deconstruct the novel.

4) Yes, it is possible to read the novel “The White Tiger” in the context of globalisation. It is so because in today’s world the riches are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer day by day. In this novel we can see in the darker India that Balram speaks about how still the ‘master-slave’ relationship is still prevailing. Whereas, in the bright side of India the poor are trying to dominate the riches, how this is possible is a point to ponder upon. 

Thinking Activity on ELT based videos

Thinking Activity on ELT based videos- 

1> Ken Robinson’s Changing Education Paradigm- In this video Robinson talks about the changes education needs to undergo. He speaks that not much has changed in the education system of today’s world as compared with the old days. Robison says that it’s not right to medicate students to bring them to schools. He says that education shouldn’t be enforced on anyone rather it should be flexible so that it can attract more students. Robinson says that education needs to me more individualized. Robinson says that destroy the myth that there is a difference between academic and non- academic subjects, between abstract and the theoretical. He says that learning becomes great when it is done in groups because one can get to know many things in groups which they can’t find in books. He also says that we need to change the thinking of those who are related with the education system.

2> Sugata Mitra’ build a school in the cloud- In this video Mitra says that he wants build a learning lab in India where children can embark on intellectual adventures by engaging and connecting with information and mentoring online. According to him, with the rise of the internet memorization is not so important now-a-days. For jobs of future students has to learn how to think critically. Mitra wants students to make new discoveries and spread it across the whole world.

3> Sugata Mitra’s future learning- In this video he talks about the future of learning that with advancement in technologies students must also get acquainted with the new learning process. He says that the old and traditional method of learning process must be removed. The teachers should also expose the students to different and easy ways of learning process.

4> Salman Khan let’s use video to reinvent education- In this video Khan talks about the use of videos in making studies easier and interesting. Videos can help break down difficult concepts while still capturing the imagination.  Khan gas transferred the heavy textbooks into interesting videos which attracts many students towards it. It lends itself to self-paced, customized learning. There’s no need to feel embarrassed if you don’t understand a concept, just rewind and replay until you do.

5> Mark Prensky Digital natives, digital immigrants- In this video Prensky calls this new generation of high technology usage as "Digital Natives", and says that today’s generation are the native speakers of the digital language of computers, video games and the internet. And Prensky also say that all the people who are born before this era is called as “Digital Immigrants”.  This gap between the two generations is remarkable in the use of technology. As natives are well-acquainted with the use of technology, whereas the immigrants have to learn the use of technology and adapt themselves to the modern use of technologies.

6> David Crystal the effect of new technologies on English- In this video David Crystal says that technology has the ability to change and create new language and develop the way in which we speak.  Crystal mentions how we speak differently when we text rather than speak, as the shortage of characters we are given.

7> David Crystal the biggest challenge for English language teachers in the times of internet- In this video Crystal says that in today’s world the English ascents or dialects which students and teachers use is much different because teachers are more of traditional and old in their languages than students. Language change makes you ready for everything. Translating and interpreting and language teaching are the toughest jobs according to Crystal because human behaviour is much more complex than language teaching.  Teaching profession is much hard than any other professions.

8> David Crystal texting is good for English language- In this video Crystal says that the more one texts the more one’s literacy level goes up.

Thinking Activity on One Night @ The Call Center

The meaning of self-help book we can say is that easiness or easy to read and what the message is conveyed easily through it. The self-help book is one that is written with the intention to instruct its readers on solving personal problems. However we can see in this novel the characters of Radhika and Priyanka their idea about the “vasudhaivkutumbkam”, also mother happiness is own happiness. Self-help book often focuses on popular psychology such as romantic relationships or aspect of the mind and human behaviour which believes in self-help feel can be controlled with effort. The self-help book typically advertises them as being able to increase self-awareness and performance including satisfaction with one’s life.

Globalization has affected the characters in the novel at various levels. Novel is based on the theme of globalization. Military uncle is connected with his son and grandson, Vroom and Shyam designs webs. The title itself has the theme of globalization.

Anti-American Sentiments- 
America is quite represented with negative aspect in the novel. Anti-American Sentiments is also thematically distressed in the novel. With Vroom as the character it is clearly visible that national pride is interwoven with this. Vroom has different sight to look at America. This text is much spoken about patriotism and rejected the Western culture which is imposed forcefully.

 Cyber Punk is a science fiction genre in which the future world is portrayed as one in which society is largely controlled by computers. One night @ The Call Center is categorized as a cyber punk novel because it displays the lifestyle and problems of those smart and young generation who are working in such a direction with technology and internet that it becomes their life.