The Henna Artist, by Alka Joshi

 

Characters

Lakshmi “Jiji” Pitaji – father, teacher Mother Radha – sister, “Bad Luck Girl”   Hari – husband Saasuji – mother, taught Lakshmi about herbs, etc. for healing   Malik   Naraya – builder Mrs. Iyengar - landlady   Samir Singh – asked Lakshmi to move to Jaipur for henna and contraceptives, architect Parvati – wife Ravi – son Lala and niece – servant   Joyce Harris – baby either husband’s or Samir’s, abortion at 5 months   V. M. Sharma – official building contractor for royal family Wife Sheela – daughter, pledged to Ravi   Kanta Agarwal – educated in England, adopted Nikil Manu - husband   Maharaja of Jaipur Indira – Maharaja’s step-mother, parakeet Madho Singh Latika – current wife   Dr. Jay Kumar Lady Bradley Hospital – Shimla Lady Bradley Healing Garden

 

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from hardback edition.

1.       As Radha was adjusting to living with Lakshmi, Lakshmi kept telling her the “rules.”  On page 85 she told Radha, “You should cover your mouth when you yawn, Radha” and she replied “Twentieth thing?”  Could you live with all those rules, or do we already and they are just second nature?

2.       Lakshmi felt very guilty about abandoning Radha, but she did not even know she existed.  Did you understand her feelings?

3.       Discuss Samir.  He was an important character throughout the novel: he brought Lakshmi to Jaipur and helped her business, he was romantically involved with her, he introduced her to Dr. Kamar, and he financed a loan for her house.

4.       Parvati, Samir’s wife, first promoted Lakshmi’s business to her friends.  But when she discovered Lakshmi had dealings with her husband, she got everyone but a few people to stop calling her and thus ruined the business.  Given how talented and successful Lakshmi was helping people, were you surprised they were so willing to immediately drop her?

5.       Were you surprised Lakshmi turned Parvati down when she offered to restore Lakshmi’s reputation and business? (Page 278)

6.       What did you think about the maharaja wanted to adopt an heir and banishing his natural heir to England on the advice of an astrologer? He was told “his natural son would overthrow him” (page 149).

7.       When Radha became pregnant, Lakshmi started to have second thoughts about how she had helped men’s mistresses end their pregnancies.  She had “justified it by treating it as a business transaction” (page 241).  She did see this different from the “sachets for the courtesans…who had been raised to be prostitutes” (page 241).  What did you think as your read this?

8.       Discuss Hari.   Were you surprised he made such a dramatic change and started to practice his mother’s herbs, etc.?  Why do you think this happened?  Did you think Lakshmi could get back together with him?  (Malik got the palace chef to tell maharani about Hari and then finance his efforts.)

9.       Why do you think the henna designs Lakshmi painted on various parts of the women’s bodies were so successful in helping them?

10.   What do you think happened after the story ended?