Capitalism and Consumer Culture in Select Novels of Aravind Adiga

Abstract

This research paper examines the intersection of hyper-capitalism and social identity in the selected novels of Aravind Adiga, specifically The White Tiger, Last Man in Tower, and Selection Day. Since the 1991 liberalization of the Indian economy, the nation has undergone a radical metamorphosis, transitioning from a Gandhian ethos of self-sufficiency to a market-driven “New India.” This study utilizes Marxist laiterary theory and Saskia Sassen’s “Global City” framework to analyze how Adiga utilizes social realism to expose the dehumanizing effects of this transition. Central to the analysis is the metaphor of the “Rooster Coop,” which illustrates how consumerist culture and structural poverty trap the marginalized in a cycle of perpetual servitude. The study further explores the commodification of urban space, the human body, and personal dreams, arguing that market values have effectively supplanted traditional morality. By investigating the dialectic between the rural “Darkness” and the urban “Light,” the paper demonstrates how modern prosperity relies on the exploitation of an invisible labor class. Ultimately, the research concludes that Adiga’s narratives serve as a critical warning against a predatory globalist ideal that transforms citizens into commodities and neighbors into competitors, thereby eroding the communal fabric of the nation.