Part 2

From the beginning, we see that Adiga speaks through Balram and describes what Light and Darkness is.  He explains that the Light is the part of India near the coasts, and that, no matter how holy, the land around the Ganges is the Darkness, including his hometown, Laxmangarh.  However, this divide is not only down to the fact that the Ganges, 'river of death' flows through it, but also many other things such as the poverty of the people in those parts and the extreme corruption of the few rich who do live there.  An example of this is his use of animals.  This is seen multiple times in the first two chapters, such as The Animals, who were the four men who were landlords of Laxmangarh, explaining that, even Balram, a young child, was forced to leave school and break coals to pay off his family's debt to one of them.  Also, the monkeys in the Black Fort are meant to represent the government, as seen through the eyes of Balram, and no doubt the others from the Darkness.  They are the sole inhabitants of the Black Fort, a great symbol of power on a hill looming over Laxmangarh, just as the government and its foolish, monkey-like politicians tower up above the Darkness.