The highest caste in India’s traditional caste system. Historically, Brahmins have had occupations such as religious leaders and teachers. In the novel, Roy makes it clear that Brahmins still have the most social power out of any caste—Biplab Dasgupta, a high-ranking official in the government, is a Brahmin, as are many of his colleagues.
Brahmin Quotes in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
The The Ministry of Utmost Happiness quotes below are all either spoken by Brahmin or refer to Brahmin. 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 4
Quotes
“But even if I was President of America, that world class Brahmin, still I would be here on hunger strike for the poor. I don’t want dollars. Capitalism is liked poisoned honey. People swarm to it like bees. I don’t go to it.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Brahmin Term Timeline in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
The timeline below shows where the term Brahmin appears in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...meant to protect it from vandalism, and the toilets have a guard too. He is Brahmin, though, and outsources his toilet-cleaning duties to another man who is a member of “what...
(full context)
Chapter 4
...advocate for the poor. Indeed, he writes, even if he were President of America—“that world-class Brahmin”—he would be on hunger strike for the poor.
(full context)
Chapter 7
...weeks after Musa’s death. But the narrator continues to love her unrequitedly. After all, his Brahmin family “would never accept her—the girl without a past, without a caste—into the family.” Indeed,...
(full context)
...speech. Indeed, even the narrator’s colleagues in the government are ultra-conservative, what he calls “closet Brahmins” who hide their deep investment in the caste system from the public eye. The narrator...
(full context)
Chapter 8
...eyes, Naga is simply an old aristocrat who has inherited the snobby airs of his Brahmin parents. For his part, Naga wonders if the recent death of Tilo’s mother has affected...
(full context)
