The author aims to explode man' principal delusion that he "is all-important, that all else in creation exists only for his sport, amusement, comfort, or nourishment." To this end, the human characters are presented as trying to manipulate the natural world for their own ends and failing miserably in the process. By using a tiger as his central character, and by allowing * reader to see through a tiger' eyes, Narayan portrays man as selfish and insensitive to the world, as well as totally unaware of his role in the great scheme of things. That Raja'* thoughts and activities are superior to anything he observes of humankind affirms just how much the individual is immersed in egocentric ignorance.
