This study explores the complex interplay between collective hypocrisy and the formation of individual identity in contemporary Indian society, as depicted in the novels of Aravind Adiga. In a rapidly globalizing India, entrenched social inequalities, systemic corruption, and moral contradictions shape not only institutions but also the self-perception and agency of individuals. Through a critical literary analysis of Adiga’s key works—The White Tiger, Last Man in Tower, and Selection Day—this paper investigates how characters navigate moral dilemmas and socio-economic pressures while confronting the dissonance between public morality and private survival.

The purpose of the study is to understand how Adiga employs narrative strategies to critique collective hypocrisy within Indian society and examine how this affects individual identity formation, particularly among marginalized or aspirational characters. The research draws on postcolonial theory, moral philosophy, and sociological insights into Indian modernity to frame its analysis.

Using close textual reading as the primary method, the study identifies recurring themes such as the betrayal of Gandhian ideals, the commodification of morality, and the fragmentation of the self. It further contextualizes these themes within India’s post-liberalization landscape, where social mobility often demands ethical compromise. The novels portray a nation in flux—where success is possible but rarely innocent, and where the pursuit of selfhood frequently collides with the façade of national values.