The Henna Artist

by

Alka Joshi

The Henna Artist: Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
It’s 1955 in the bustling Indian city of Jaipur, and Lakshmi reflects that India’s recent independence from the British “changed everything” and “changed nothing.” Lakshmi has been in Jaipur for 10 years, and she finds comfort in its consistency even as she notices how much newfound pride her countrymen display. She and her assistant Malik weave through foot traffic, including a group of hijras (“sari-clad, lipstick-wearing men”).
As readers meet Lakshmi—seemingly the older sister Radha has heard about—the tone shifts: though Lakshmi’s life is not perfect, her narrative voice is much more optimistic. There are two essential details in this passage. First, Lakshmi emphasizes the importance of India’s 1947 independence from the British Raj (colonial government) while also suggesting that that independence is far from complete. And second, the mention of hijras again demonstrates a fascination with (and anxiety about) gender.
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Quotes
Malik hails a tonga (a rickshaw), and Lakshmi marvels that such a small boy can be so powerful and efficient. The tonga takes the pair through the center of Jaipur, also known as the Pink City, where families live close together in shared compounds. But today, Lakshmi is going to the Singh household, which is a sprawling estate outside the center of the city. As Lakshmi takes in the marble floors and luscious vines, she notes that the Singhs—part of a Rajput caste of rajas, princes, and army officers—have had power “before, during, and even after” British colonization.   
Already, the class divide is tangible and essential. The Indian caste system dictates profession and class, and so a Rajput family—a subset of the powerful Kshatriya group—would experience a completely different life than the low-caste families who live in the city center. In fact, Lakshmi points out that caste and British colonialism worked in tandem: historically, the British preserved their power by working with high-caste Indians as deputies. Also worth noting: marble floors will often be a major signifier of wealth, and of a particular kind of aesthetic that equates beauty with material gain.
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Lakshmi exits the tonga and approaches the house, where Lala, the Singhs’ longtime servant and nanny, greets her. The two are old friends, so Lakshmi asks about Lala’s niece, who has recently come to work for the Singhs. But at the mention of her niece, Lala’s face darkens, worrying Lakshmi.
The lavish lifestyle of upper-caste Hindus can only be supported by a broad network of servants. From her interactions with Lala, it becomes clear that Lakshmi finds comfort and relief among other people who exist in such rarified worlds, though only as support staff.
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Parvati Singh summons Lakshmi, so Lakshmi goes to her client’s elegant bedroom. As always, Lakshmi has to wait while Parvati finishes her tasks, which include writing to Prime Minister Nehru and participating in calls for the Indo-Soviet league. Once Parvati has finished, she summons Lala and is displeased when Lala’s niece greets her instead. The young servant girl is terrified, and she looks to Lakshmi for help. But Lakshmi, reflecting that “Parvati was my mistress, too,” feels powerless.
In addition to the luxurious finishings of her home, Parvati seems to wield a great deal of political connection and influence. This wordless exchange between Lakshmi and Lala’s niece then demonstrates the ways in which the rigid caste and class structures break down solidarity: because Lakshmi also feels powerless in front of her “mistress,” she feels that she cannot support this young girl, though she is clearly in need.
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The Henna Artist PDF
Normally, low-caste Shudra women do henna. But while Shudra henna artists traditionally do simple patterns, Lakshmi’s designs tell stories; her henna paste is darker and more moisturizing. Years ago, Parvati credited Lakshmi’s designs with her ability to conceive her youngest child. Ever since then, Lakshmi has been in high demand in Jaipur society, as women believe that her henna makes them more fertile and more desirable to their husbands. Because of her skill, Lakshmi can charge 10 times what Shudra artists charge.
More than just dictating status, the caste system also dictated what professions were suitable for what groups; because of its close contact with others’ bodies, henna was considered a lowly profession. However, Lakshmi has seized on this bodily contact as a way to heal and help with fertility, meaning that she is simultaneously an artist and a doctor of sorts (even if she is not recognized publicly as such).
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Lakshmi paints her henna onto Parvati’s foot: a split fig being fertilized by a wasp. Parvati is delighted by Lakshmi’s work, but she also notices that the fig is Turkish and wonders aloud how Lakshmi knows what such a fruit looks like. Lakshmi shakes the question off, and Parvati looks forward to an erotic night with her husband. Other than Lakshmi, he is the only person who will see the design.
Henna was used for fertility purposes, but it was also traditionally associated with crucial moments of romance (like wedding nights). Lakshmi’s implicitly sexual design, in which a yonic fig is penetrated by a phallic wasp, demonstrates the link between Lakshmi’s work and her clients’ sexual hopes and desires. 
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While Lakshmi works on her feet, Parvati comments on the henna artist’s unusual blue eyes. Lakshmi, anxious, jokes that maybe she is related to Marco Polo or Alexander the Great. Lakshmi explains that she and Parvati are from the highest castes—Lakshmi is a Brahmin, and Parvati is a Kshatriya (the warrior caste). However, because Lakshmi touches people’s feet, she has now lost status. To the wealthy women of Jaipur, therefore, she is seen as a “fallen Brahmin.”
The mention of Lakshmi’s blue eyes confirms that she is indeed Radha’s sister. Lakshmi’s descent through the ranks of caste because of her henna business (a necessary means of survival) illustrates a powerful irony: the system is mutable enough that one can lose status, but it is much more difficult to gain status.
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This difference in status does not usually bother Lakshmi, however—what matters is that she can save up enough money to pay for the house she is building. Lakshmi recalls her painful youth: she was married off at 15, when her parents could no longer afford to feed her. Now, Lakshmi is proud that she has enough money to feed (and eventually house) her parents, even though they refuse to respond to any of the letters she has sent them. But though they have not accepted her money, Lakshmi is confident that once her house is finished, they will join her in it. Lakshmi vows to be positive instead of vengeful. As Gandhi said, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
Lakshmi’s conflicting feelings about family now come to the fore. On the one hand, her life is motivated by a desire to bring comfort and ease to her parents, even though they never were able to give those things to her. On the other hand, Lakshmi feels resentful that her parents completely cut ties. To balance those impulses, Lakshmi turns to a quote from Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement—suggesting that Lakshmi sees a link between political choices and her own personal life.
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Lakshmi’s thoughts are interrupted by a cricket game that Parvati’s son Ravi is playing with his younger brother. Lala hurries in shortly after. Parvati is angry, insisting that Lala should already have sent her niece away. Lala begs Parvati to change her mind, but Parvati stands firm. Lakshmi distracts herself through the painful exchange, turning her back on it as (she remembers) she once turned her “back on the gods.”
Ravi and Lala’s niece are around the same age, but are treated very differently: Ravi is free to play games and be silly, while Lala’s niece is treated as an employee, berated and shamed. In every element of life, Lakshmi makes clear, caste and gender determine how the citizens of Jaipur experience the world.
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Parvati starts drinking her tea, and Lakshmi follows suit, noticing that the cup is a British design. Pre-independence, British objects were a sign of reverence for the colonial power, but now they show mockery. Lakshmi muses that “only a fool lives in water and remains an enemy of the crocodile.” Parvati begins gossiping to Lakshmi, whom she always speaks freely around. Parvati assumes that Lakshmi’s husband has abandoned her, and she both trusts and pities this 30-year-old, childless woman.
Lakshmi’s remark about the “crocodile” shows that in a country marked by colonialism and rigid class hierarchies, flexibility is key. To stay in power, Parvati must be willing to shift her ideas and adjust her loyalties on the fly. Lakshmi, too, has avoided being a “fool,” attaching herself to the most powerful people (like Parvati) that she can. This passage also reveals that Lakshmi has told all her clients a lie—in reality, as the prologue explained, she has abandoned her husband, not the other way around.
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Lakshmi raises the subject of Ravi’s marital future—though he will go to college in the U.K., Lakshmi thinks that his marriage should be arranged now. Parvati is hesitant, though she feels that her own arranged marriage, to her husband Samir, is a happy one. Lakshmi doubts this inwardly, but outwardly she agrees with Parvati, sliding a homemade treat into her mouth. Though Lakshmi does not tell her clients, these treats are aphrodisiacs, designed to make them have better sex with their husbands. 
Though Parvati is desperate to satisfy her husband sexually, Lakshmi seems to know that their marriage is much more complicated than Parvati lets on. Lakshmi’s little treats are an important part of how she satisfies her clients—but once again, Lakshmi conceals much of her life and practice in order to come across in an approachable way and gain her clients’ trust. 
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Skillfully, Lakshmi swings the conversation back to matchmaking. She suggests Sheela Sharma, a wealthy girl. Sheela’s father owns a construction company, whereas Samir Singh is an architect, so the marriage makes perfect business sense. But Sheela is a Brahmin—meaning that she is a different caste from Ravi. Though Lakshmi thinks Sheela is entitled and rude, she is also very beautiful, and Parvati only needs to know about the good stuff.
Lakshmi’s idea to arrange this marriage reflects the role that bartering and exchange play in every aspect of Jaipur life. Here, a potential match is more economic (pairing a construction family with an architectural one) than romantic—which perhaps explains why so many of Lakshmi’s clients are clamoring for more sex and romance from their spouses.
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Parvati is interested in the potential match, but she has an agenda of her own: she wants Lakshmi to assist the maharani Latika, who has been depressed as of late. Lakshmi quickly sees what Parvati is suggesting: that instead of paying for matchmaking, Parvati will trade an introduction to the palace for Lakshmi’s services. Lakshmi bargains with Parvati, eventually getting Parvati to give her 9,000 rupees “for supplies.” To sweeten the deal, Lakshmi throws in a henna party for free—which will also be a great chance for Parvati to see Sheela Sharma up close.
The coded language that Parvati uses to arrange this deal disguises the sheer amount of monetary calculation that each woman is doing. It is becoming clear that Lakshmi’s success is due not just to her beautiful designs but to her ability to navigate and respond to this type of unspoken exchange.
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Lakshmi leaves Parvati and asks Malik to call a tonga. As he does so, Lakshmi muses about how skinny Malik is. She found him when he was hungry and following her around, desperate to get a job and some food. Though the two work closely together, Lakshmi never asks Malik any questions about his life. Instead, she also pesters him to learn any news from her parents back home and is disappointed to learn there is nothing to report. 
The Singhs’ massive wealth stands in contrast to the poverty Malik and others like him face, even though all of these characters live in such close proximity. Lakshmi’s refusal to ask questions about Malik’s home and family will become a recurring theme, as she often shuts herself off from the personal lives of those around her.
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While Lakshmi waits for the tonga, she plucks two frangipani blossoms and puts them in her hair. Then, she takes out her notebook to record the days’ earnings. Though Lakshmi feels her mind wander toward the possibility of a palace commission, she checks herself before the fantasy can get out of control.  She is amazed that 13 years ago, the only thing she wanted was to get away from her husband—and now, she has advanced so much further in life. 
Lakshmi’s use of her notebook—and her refusal to dip into fantasy—displays how much she values and internalizes a practical mindset. It is important to note how Lakshmi’s goals have shifted over time. Originally, all she wanted was independence from her husband, but now, she has more material, wealth-centric goals.
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Again, Lakshmi’s mind strays: to the indoor plumbing and terrazzo floor she will build, to the rich food she will treat her parents to. She cannot wait to feel their pride and astonishment in her work, and the thought makes her laugh out loud. Samir Singh, who has just walked up, interrupts Lakshmi’s reverie, teasing her about laughing at nothing.
Even as Lakshmi dreams of status, she is never completely disconnected from a desire to please (and to rejoin) her family. The terrazzo floor, built with imported marble, will become an essential symbol of Lakshmi’s aims at advancement.
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Lakshmi is attracted to Samir, especially his eyes. The two trade proverbs back and forth, though Lakshmi’s come from her maa and Samir’s come from his years at Oxford. Samir also comments on the flowers in Lakshmi’s hair—“intoxicating”—and Lakshmi feels her belly flutter with desire. But though it has been 13 years since Lakshmi has been with a man, she knows Samir is off limits. Even the appearance of flirting with him could cost her reputation, not to mention her livelihood.
Now, it is evident why Lakshmi questions the strength of Samir and Parvati’s marriage. In this flirtatious scene, Lakshmi and Samir have both a physical and intellectual bond, even though their backgrounds are very different (Samir was born into a high caste and educated in England, while Lakshmi learned much of what she knows from her mother’s traditions). 
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Lakshmi pulls away from the flirtation and turns her attention to business, slipping Samir three mysterious sachets. Samir pays her several hundred rupees—money Lakshmi desperately needs, as she is behind on her payments for the house. He also gives her a piece of paper with an Englishwoman’s address on it, noting that “at one time the British were over us. Now they’re just under our feet.”
Though Lakshmi makes a great deal of money from her henna business, she also appears to use her healing powers for further financial gain. Samir’s comment about the British once more reflects Lakshmi’s sentiment that independence “changed everything” and “changed nothing.”
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The pair’s conversation is cut off by the arrival of Dr. Kumar, an old friend of Samir’s from Oxford. To Lakshmi’s dismay, Kumar mistakes her for Parvati. Lakshmi says her goodbyes, using the nickname “Sammy” for Samir, even though she fears it sounds ridiculous with her accent. As she walks out of the estate, Lakshmi trips, and she turns around to see Kumar looking at her. Lakshmi also notices Lala, who seems even more desperate. But instead of going to meet her, Lakshmi just gets into her tonga.  
The connection between Lakshmi and Samir is tangible enough that Dr. Kumar is able to confuse them for a married couple. This weighted interaction with Lala foreshadows the tragedies to come—and Lakshmi’s inability to act on her instinct that Lala is in need indicates how trapped she feels by class divides.
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Lakshmi’s other appointments take her to the Jaipur bazaar, where people sell all kinds of snacks and accessories. Since Partition, the market has gotten more crowded, as refugee Punjabi and Sindhi merchants join the stalls. Lakshmi gives Malik money for food and encourages him to eat healthily. She reflects again that she knows so little about his family life, because she has never asked.
Partition refers to the painful process by which India (majority-Hindu) and Pakistan (majority-Muslim) became two separate countries; the presence of so many refugees suggests that even eight years later, the nation has yet to recover from this traumatic split. This messy process of independence is both important context and a symbolic frame for Lakshmi’s own life. Again, Lakshmi’s refusal to ask about Malik’s family life means that despite the time the two spend together, they share very little real intimacy.
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Quotes
Lakshmi considers going to see her house, which is still in progress. The builder, Naraya, cuts corners if she does not check in frequently. But she is exhausted, so she heads home, to the room she rents from a South Indian lady named Mrs. Iyengar. Mrs. Iyengar informs Lakshmi that a man with a “big-big scar” called for her today. Lakshmi feels her pulse quicken, but to distract Mrs. Iyengar, she promises her to massage her hands with some special oils. 
Every step of Lakshmi’s life as a middle-class Jaipur resident is exhausting: there is always something to smooth over, something to double check. The scar Mrs. Iyengar references suggests that the man who has come for Lakshmi is her abandoned husband, the man Radha encountered in the prologue.
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As soon as Mrs. Iyengar leaves, Lakshmi wonders how Hari—her abandoned husband—has found her. She never sent her address to either her maa or pitaji. Lakshmi wonders if her parents resent her so much that they sent Hari to fetch her home instead of coming to Jaipur. She looks out her window and sees Hari’s silhouette.
Lakshmi’s heartbreak at seeing Hari is compounded by the fact that she has not seen anyone else from her past in 13 years. Symbolically, Lakshmi is struggling to connect her new, prosperous, urban life to the hardships she left behind in Ajar.
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Lakshmi runs into her neighbor, a kind-hearted, charming music teacher named Mr. Pandey. They chat about Sheela Sharma, who is Mr. Pandey’s student. Though she is naturally very talented, Pandey is clear that her bad attitude is holding her back. Lakshmi writes a note to Hari and asks Pandey to give it to the man across the street. Then, she turns her lights off and watches the two men interact.
Like Lala and Lakshmi, Mr. Pandey is another person who transitions between the working-class world and the world of extreme wealth. Unlike those two women, though, Pandey is a man, which allows him increased freedom and security, as this exchange about the letter demonstrates.
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