Higher power Quote by Aravind Adiga
““It is an ancient and venerated custom of people in my country to start a story by praying to a Higher Power. I guess, Your Excellency, that I too should start off by kissing some god's arse. Which god's arse, though? There are so many choices. See, the Muslims have one god. The Christians have three gods. And we Hindus have 36,000,000 gods. Making a grand total of 36,000,004 divine arses for me to choose from.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, 2008
The speaker mocks the practice of invoking deities at story beginnings, highlighting the absurdity of religious multiplicity and the arbitrariness of choosing a divine patron.
In simple terms: Mocking religious rituals and the many gods.
Key Takeaway
Question the relevance of invoking gods in storytelling.
Themes
religion
satire
culture
identity
absurdity
Mood
ironic
critical
playful
Type
humorous
satirical
commentary
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- cross‑cultural dialogue
- literary analysis
- creative brainstorming
Key Concepts
pluralism
ritual
authorial voice
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you think invoking a deity adds meaning to a story?
- How does satire affect perceptions of religion?
A Different Perspective
The humor may downplay genuine spiritual experiences for some readers.
