Previous
Rajput
A sari, or a large woven piece of cloth, is one of the most common women’s garments in India. Saris can be made of many different materials; in The Henna Artist, the material often signals a woman’s status (i.e., Parvati Singh can afford satin saris, whereas Lakshmi usually wears cotton). Special-occasion saris can also be important family heirlooms, as is evident in Radha’s attachment to her maa’s wedding sari.
Get the entire The Henna Artist LitChart as a printable PDF.
Sari Term Timeline in The Henna Artist
The timeline below shows where the term Sari appears in The Henna Artist. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Prologue
...state of India, a young girl named Radha carries everything she owns: her maa’s wedding sari, a book from her father, and a letter she has just received from Jaipur. As...
(full context)
Chapter 1
...display. She and her assistant Malik weave through foot traffic, including a group of hijras (“sari-clad, lipstick-wearing men”).
(full context)
Chapter 2
...in the moonlight. He looks Lakshmi up and down, and she wants to pull her sari in tighter.
(full context)
Chapter 3
When Radha arrives at Lakshmi’s rented room, she is amazed by the various saris she sees. Radha wants to touch the fabrics, but she holds herself back—the night before,...
(full context)
Lakshmi outfits Radha in a light green sari and steps back to admire her work. Already, Radha looks clean and much more beautiful...
(full context)
Chapter 4
...Lakshmi to make a 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....
(full context)
Chapter 17
...impregnated others besides Radha. Parvati tries to respond, but she can only cry, reaching her sari to her face and staining it with her makeup.
(full context)
Chapter 18
When Lakshmi arrives in Shimla, Radha is traumatized by the image of “Kanta’s sari dripping with blood.” Kanta’s baby was stillborn, but she had refused treatment, and now she’s...
(full context)
...might be for the best.” The two say goodbye, but Kumar’s scent lingers on Lakshmi’s sari, and she pictures sharing a garden with him.
(full context)
