Tuesday, November 12, 2019

In The White Tiger, Balram’s father states that “my whole life I have been treated like a donkey. All I want is that one son of mine—at least one—should live like a man.” (26) By the end of the novel, does Balram’s father’s wish come true? Please formulate a clear, specific thesis on this topic and discuss it. To do so, consider what it means to live “like a man.” Is personal freedom necessary for a fully human life? Is Balram free at the end of the novel or is he entrapped by his prior choices? This is my essay question: I have made an introduction with a thesis with two points so far and I need a third, I cannot figure one out. I need help with setting up my body paragraphs so can you please do bullet point notes on ideas to talk about for each body paragraph to back up the thesis and quotes as well. Please review my introduction as well along with the things I should write about in each body paragraph.

I am unable to see your introduction in the question, but I can write about some of the issues you've raised in regards to both Balram's status at the end of the novel and what it means to live like a man. By the end of The White Tiger, Balram has definitely fulfilled his father's dream of his son living like a man. He is a capable, intelligent person who has carved out his own path, rather than having one selected for and handed to him.
To live like a man is to be different from an animal. Many things separate men from animals, including,
The ability to imagine and create a different kind of life.
Choosing what name to be called. Animals are stuck with the one bestowed upon them, but humans can rid themselves of one name to choose another.
The ability to gain and use education.
Being able to improve one's circumstances through conscious effort and self-direction.
Choosing to lead, rather than serve.
It's also important to consider how Vikram meant he was treated like a donkey. He was forced to work for subsistence wages to keep his family afloat. His job was to pick up his rickshaw and take people where they wanted to be—he never had the skills or the ability to change his life and be the kind of person who chose where to go. He served men instead of leading men. This is what he does not want for his son.
Balram reflects on how men can be like animals (as opposed to men living like men) when he says,

In the old days there were one thousand castes and destinies in India. These days, there are just two castes: Men with Big Bellies, and Men with Small Bellies. And only two destinies: eat—or get eaten up.

Vikram spent his whole life being eaten up in a sense. Balram chooses to be the one who eats.
More than anything, dreaming of a life outside of Laxmangarh helps separate Balram from the animals. Animals live by instinct, unable to change their own lot in life. In many ways, this was Vikram's burden to shoulder—to dream of a better life but never able to achieve it. He insisted on his son doing what was necessary to not only understand the concept of a better life, but to achieve it.
Having a name bestowed on him helps Balram escape from his father's impoverished past and live like a man. While animals can be named, they're not attached to those names. They're easily identified by the type of creature they are. At first, Balram is like this. He is known as Munna, which means "boy." His teacher decides to call him Balram, which is the name of Krishna's companion.
Gaining an education separates Balram from the crowd and puts him on the path to living like a man. When the inspector comes and questions the children, only Balram is able to read correctly and give the right answers. The inspector says,

"You, young man, are an intelligent, honest, vivacious fellow in this crowd of thugs and idiots. In any jungle, what is the rarest of animals—the creature that comes along only once in a generation?”“The white tiger.”“That’s what you are, in this jungle."

This elevation above his peers is one of the ways that he is able to control the direction of his own life. He and others recognize his ability to overcome the circumstances of his birth through education and conscious choice. 
Being raised from poverty helps Balram live like a man. He recognizes his father's life in the poverty of the village of Laxmangarh and yearns to leave, but he is unable to leave until his father passes away. Rather than choosing to stay where it's safe, Balram decides to leave. He uses his brains and his ability to analyze to gain a job working for a rich family. He then learns their behaviors and their secrets. He says, "I absorbed everything—that’s the amazing thing about entrepreneurs. We are like sponges—we absorb and grow."
Finally, Balram's actions—however grim—serve to show he lives like a man. Animals do not kill for revenge or profit. Balram, however, does kill for his own gain. He kills his immoral employer, takes his money, and starts his own company. He is no longer like his father, transporting wealthier men who employ others. Now he employs men of his own and has the freedom money affords. He says, "Let animals live like animals; let humans live like humans. That’s my whole philosophy in a sentence."
Balram clearly agrees that he has fulfilled his father's dream. He concludes the book by saying that all the risks he has taken were worth it to live as a free man. Balram writes:

Yet. . . even if they throw me in jail. . . I'll say it was all worthwhile to know, just for a day, just for an hour, just for a minute, what it means not to be a servant. I think I am ready to have children, Mr. Premier.

By the end of The White Tiger, Balram's father's dream is realized. It happens by Balram choosing education, separation himself from the life he was born into, and directing his own actions. His decision to murder his employer also plays a critical role in escaping the yoke of poverty. However, no matter the path his journey took, Balram is a free man and not an animal forced to live in the service of others. Animals serve; Balram no longer serves.
https://slate.com/technology/2014/03/the-science-of-what-separates-us-from-other-animals-human-imagination-and-our-ability-to-share-imaginative-scenarios-with-others.html

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