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Henna
Ji is a term of respect and endearment; as Joshi herself puts it, “the addition of ji to a person’s name […] accords them respect and reverence.” Often, the novel uses the word to refer to beloved older figures like political leader Mohandas Gandhi and Munchi, the old man who teaches Lakshmi and Radha how to draw.
Ji Quotes in The Henna Artist
The The Henna Artist quotes below are all either spoken by Ji or refer to Ji. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 11
Quotes
I shook my head. “You think it's that easy? This house took thirteen years of hard work and Yes, Ji and No, Ji and Whatever you say, Ji. You'll never have to do that if you go to that school. You have many years in which to have a child, after you finish school. […] You can be something better than a henna artist. Better than me. You can have a meaningful life.” The water was almost boiling. “Just—please help me find the cotton root bark.”
Her voice trembled. “He said I was just another cheap pair of hands to you. Your business only took off after I arrived. You told me yourself you booked more appointments now because of my henna. If that's true, then why can't you trust me to think for myself? […] It doesn't matter how hard I work, how much I do. You'll never have faith in me!”
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Ji Term Timeline in The Henna Artist
The timeline below shows where the term Ji appears in The Henna Artist. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...will help Radha grow up well, and the two bond over their shared love of Munchi-ji, back in Ajar. Radha reveals that although she has no painting skill, she is great...
(full context)
Chapter 4
...mandala, or a courtyard mural. Mrs. Sharma is wearing a simple sari, a tribute to Gandhi-ji, even as everyone around her bustles to prepare for tonight’s party. Though traditionally, the women...
(full context)
Chapter 11
...to have a baby, she would need to work for years, timed filled with “Yes, Ji and No, Ji and Whatever you say, Ji.” Radha, parroting her lover, retorts that Lakshmi...
(full context)
