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chrisljm's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I loved the initial idea that humans overlook how other beings might also possess ego, values, outlook, and the ability to communicate, and that we tend to see them as sport and amusement. However, it seemed to stray from that by making the tiger humanlike instead, and in Narayan's quest to create a story centered on other creatures, it's ironic that he only went to prove that man indeed sees themselves as all-important. I think it would've been much more meaningful to show how animals, who are unlike humans, are still capable of possessing ego and outlook. As the tiger becomes "spiritually enlightened", his thoughts and actions soon become indistinguishable from a human person's. I think it's a very self-centered idea that if all creatures were to be enlightened they would take on human traits and beliefs. It's especially questionable since the book itself mentions how God created man in His image, but man also makes God in their own image, and if a tiger were to believe in God it would be natural for it to envision a God in his image as well -- a tiger. So why would we envision a tiger's soul to be one liken to a human's? I think enlightenment, at least in this case, is a very human-centered idea, but I don't think it's necessary for other beings to be humanlike in order to be enlightened.
A specific thing I disliked, kind of along the same lines, was the hint of disapproval at the tiger for eating and desiring meat. After the tiger becomes enlightened he displays guilt and shame for his diet, and tries to change it to smaller animals than he usually eats, but later just stops eating all together. This is strange and insinuates a vegetarian diet as superior over eating meat, when this is a very human concept. Humans have the benefit of choice, while many other creatures don't. Tigers are carnivorous and their hunting for food is part of a natural order and it's strange that the tiger should be made ashamed of this. If all other carnivores were to stop hunting, this would create imbalance in the natural world. There was also a particular line in the book where the tiger states he used to kill recklessly and would waste his food. But the idea of waste in nature is bizarre because the food that predators don't finish is how scavengers get their food. It's all a part of a cycle so it's very strange to equate an animal doing what's in its nature to humans' gluttony and consumerism, especially when animals are much more attune to nature than a majority of humans ever will be.
Very disappointed by how self-serving and anthropocentric this novel turned out to be.
A specific thing I disliked, kind of along the same lines, was the hint of disapproval at the tiger for eating and desiring meat. After the tiger becomes enlightened he displays guilt and shame for his diet, and tries to change it to smaller animals than he usually eats, but later just stops eating all together. This is strange and insinuates a vegetarian diet as superior over eating meat, when this is a very human concept. Humans have the benefit of choice, while many other creatures don't. Tigers are carnivorous and their hunting for food is part of a natural order and it's strange that the tiger should be made ashamed of this. If all other carnivores were to stop hunting, this would create imbalance in the natural world. There was also a particular line in the book where the tiger states he used to kill recklessly and would waste his food. But the idea of waste in nature is bizarre because the food that predators don't finish is how scavengers get their food. It's all a part of a cycle so it's very strange to equate an animal doing what's in its nature to humans' gluttony and consumerism, especially when animals are much more attune to nature than a majority of humans ever will be.
Very disappointed by how self-serving and anthropocentric this novel turned out to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Excrement, Kidnapping, and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault
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