The protagonist and unreliable narrator of The White Tiger, Munna Balram Halwai belongs to a caste of sweet-makers (as implied by his surname “Halwai”) and begins his life in Laxmangarh, a village comprising what he calls the “Darkness”—largely rural areas connected by the River Ganga (Ganges). Often in conflict with his grandmother Kusum and her traditional expectations, Balram avoids marriage and eventually stops sending money, despite Kusum’s threatening letters. Kusum often compares Balram to his deceased mother, as mother and son both take interest in an abandoned fort in Laxmangarh. Balram also shares similarities with his father Vikram, who operates a rickshaw though he belongs to the caste of sweet-makers. Likewise, Balram transports the rich in Dhanbad and Delhi using his employer’s Honda City. A driver for Mr. Ashok, who serves as his foil, Balram changes from a loyal servant to an angry murderer, a transformation that begins with a false confession, following Ashok’s wife, Pinky Madam, accidentally killing a child. Called “half-baked” (8) by Ashok, Balram embraces his incomplete education as a promise of release from traditional expectations.

Balram begins his life without an official name or birthdate—called “Munna” (“boy”) by his family, his teacher Krishna names him “Balram” after the helpful companion to the god Krishna.