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Shudra
The word tiffin has its roots in the colonial British practice of afternoon tea, but by the time the novel begins, tiffin usually refers to a metal carrying case, designed to keep lunch or late-afternoon snacks warm. Tiffins are important to Lakshmi, as they allow her and Malik to transport henna supplies and treats all across Jaipur.
Tiffin Quotes in The Henna Artist
The The Henna Artist quotes below are all either spoken by Tiffin or refer to Tiffin. 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:
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Chapter 1
Quotes
Malik lived somewhere inside one of the many buildings that made up the Pink City. I had never asked whether he had a sibling, a mother or a father. It was enough that he and I were together ten hours a day and that he hauled my tiffins, flagged down rickshaws and tongas, haggled with suppliers. We shared confidences, of course, like the look of impatience he'd given me today when our last client kept us waiting an hour.
I placed three rupee coins in his palm, after making him promise he would buy real food for his dinner instead of greasy snacks. “You’re a growing boy,” I reminded him, as if he weren't aware of it. He grinned and took off like a top, whining his way between shoppers toward the bright lights.
Related Characters:
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Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Henna Artist LitChart as a printable PDF.
Tiffin Term Timeline in The Henna Artist
The timeline below shows where the term Tiffin appears in The Henna Artist. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 7
...still impressive. Malik gives Lakshmi an encouraging wink as they carry in all their various tiffins, loaded with supplies. A guard brings them to do the elder maharani, Indira. To get...
(full context)
