Nectar in a Sieve

Novel "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya, tells the story of a woman named Rukmani, an Indian woman who raises her family during the time when India was a British colony. It is because of Rukmani's lack of knowledge that her livings conditions grow more and more challenging as she experiences the effects of British presence in India. "Nature is like a wild animal that you have trained to work for you." (CH1p.5) Throughout the novel, nature provides constant challenges for Rukmani and her family. First flooding monsoon rains and then severe drought take the rice crop, driving the family to the brink of starvation. Rukmani recognizes that nature is to be respected as it has the power to take life and to give it.

The main theme throw out Markandayas novel is that knowledge is power. The setting was in India when they gained political independence from Britain. It is the painful story of a large poverty Hindu family . The story is told in the first person by Rukmani, beginning with her arranged marriage at age twelve to tenant farmer Nathan. Rukmani and Nathan love each other and their marriage begins in peace and prosperity; however, a large tannery is built in the neighboring village and begins destroying their lives. As the tannery grows larger , Rukmani and Nathan struggle to feed their children and to pay the rent on the land that gives them life.

With the right knowledge a person can make it through any situation. In this novel some of the characters gain knowledge threw readings other because of life experiences. However there are other characters like Rukmani who although she knows how to read she still has every little knowledge about life and does not know what she can do to make it through difficult times. The words and actions of Rukmani throw out the novel really show how ignorant she was about a lot of basic things that would have helped her and her family survive throw the extremely difficult times people where going throw in India. Rukmani experiences the changes typical of a young woman in her time. She marries a man she does not know, becomes a mother, and as she has more children, learns to share limited resources with more people.

Throw out the novel we see how Rukmani's family falls apart. Her daughter is given back by her husband because she was unable to give him a child, two of her sons end up moving away because they knew a better life was waiting for them else wear, and also her other two sons and up dyeing. One was killed by the guards in his job because he was caught stealing; while her other son dies of starvation as a baby; all because Rukmani did not speak up and cried for help. There is a part in the novel where Kenny a British doctor who has come to help the people in Rukmani's village is telling her what she should do to get help and she does not seem to understand where he is coming from.

" "Times are better, times are better,"