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Subject name : English Honors / Major Programme

Title of lesson : Nectar in a Sieve
Author : Kamala Markandaya
No of Parts (I/II) and Duration : Two; 30 Minutes each
Paper/Level (I/II) : VIII (G), Indian Writing in English
Under Graduates (B.A, B.Sc, and B.com) : B.A.
SUBJECT EXPERT:
Name : Ms. K. Ruth
Qualification : M.A (English)
Designation : Junior Lecturer in New Govt. Junior College
Mobile no : 9705689395

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya

LESSON TWO--(30 minutes)

OBJECTIVES:
 To identify significant literary elements and use those elements to interpret the
work.
 To analyze the cultural settings, focusing on the economic and social conditions
of the cultures of the protagonists.
 To recognize different levels of meaning.
 To identify different levels of meaning and comment on their significance and
effect.

Summary: Nectar in a Sieve depicts the story of Rukmani and Nathan against the
background of suffering and agony of rural India. In the first part of the novel, the story of
Rukmani’s marriage with Nathan and their efforts to survive against the vagaries of nature and
also disturbances caused by the setting up of a tannery is narrated. The second part presents
the plight of the couple trying to search for their son, Murugan, in a large city. Later, the city
also rejected them, as they are not smart enough to fit into its hectic atmosphere. The
excellence of the novel lies in Markandaya’s vivid characterization, powerful language, symbols,
irony, realistic depiction of change and other elements which will be discussed in this lesson.

ACADEMIC SCRIPT:
 Module 1: Art of Characterization and the Protagonist

Markandaya’s art of characterization is traditional. The externals of characters are given

sometimes through set-description, but more frequently through stray remarks or comments in
the course of the story. As the action develops, we know about the characters from what they
themselves do and say, and from what others say about them. It is in this way that the
character is built-up step by step. The effect is cumulative. It is in this way that Nathan and
Rukmani acquire larger than life dimensions and become symbolic of the faceless Indian
peasantry, suffering and oppressed. Not only are the major figures living and breathing
individuals, but even the minor ones come alive in her hands. Beggars, prostitutes and
peasants symbolize the economic backwardness of the nation, the swami’s are the spokesman
of traditional values, unpopular with rational men of commercial civilization.
All these are evident in the character of the protagonist, Rukmani.
Rukmani: Rukmani is the main character of the story. She was the youngest of four sisters.
Their father was the village headman. By the time of her marriage, her father’s influence and
prestige had declined. Hence, she was married to Nathan, a poor tenant farmer. She began her
life with him by finding him to be very kind and loving. Soon, she gave birth to their first child, a
daughter named Irawaddy ("Ira") and eventually five more sons in rapid succession.
Rukmani was a sensible and prudent housewife and managed her home well. She was a true
helpmate to her husband. She not only did the household work but also helped in the field. Her
courage, determination, resourcefulness and her patient acceptance of her lot were all
displayed during the days of misfortune which followed soon.
Rukmani is one of the immortal characters of literature and her life story, once read cannot be
forgotten. She is an archetypal figure symbolic of the suffering soul of India through the ages.

Module 2: Other Characters

Nathan: Nathan, the husband of Rukmani, is a poor farmer, with a loving nature. As a farmer
he is skillful. Initially he was very angry with Rukmani and later on admires her much. He praises
her and says that ‘Ruku indeed is a clever woman’. He is a practical man and his down-to-earth
realism is best seen in his relationship with his sons. After this his fall in the village and
disintegration is rapid. He drifts to the city, in the hope of finding shelter with his son, Murugan.
Failing in that, he lives for some time as a beggar on the charity and shelter provided by the
temple. Then he takes to breaking stones and hopes to earn enough to return to the village. But
he is not fortunate enough to come back home to his village. He falls ill and passes away calmly
in the lap of his beloved wife and lifelong companion. He is a typical Indian peasant both in his
suffering and his nobility and integrity of character.
Kunthi: Kunthi is a negative character in the novel. She is immoral, corrupt, scheming, intriguing
and totally heartless. Though a minor character, she serves as a foil to Ruku and Ira. Kunthi
stands for the modern, the progressive and the urban, and the evil which is inherent in the
modern and urban way of life.

Module 3: Language and Style

The language in Nectar in a Sieve is characterized by fluidity, smoothness and “the purity of
running water”. Kamala Markandaya’s language is full of lilt, a richness of colour and texture
which lends a poetic touch to her descriptions. This is predominant in her descriptions of the
village and the rhythms of rural life in a Nectar in a Sieve. According to the famous Indian critic,
Srinivasa Iyengar, sufficiency and suggestiveness are the outstanding qualities of Markandaya’s
prose as is evident in the following lines from Nectar in a Sieve:
“Rain had softened the road, liquid mud came squelching up between my toes as I
walked. Ahead and behind me were scores of foot prints, many of them like small pools
where water had seeped in. The cart-tracks were full of water too long lines criss-
crossing with mud flung upon either side of the trenches……..”

“walking in rain or experiencing tear, the sense of secret shame or guilt, love or
revulsion, fulfillment or frustration, stillness or pandemonium, the right words evoke the
scene, the feeling, the action or the psychological state”.

The beauty of Markandaya’s style lies in its natural fusion of the personal and the political, the
individual and the rational, and traditional and the modern. She admits the importance of
physical and material needs, but she prefers to idealize life while also depicting sympathetically
the existential anguish of her characters.

Markandaya writes within the framework of the English tradition. Her Indianness is evident in
her use of some easy to understand words from Indian languages, words which carry a charm
and an aroma of their own. A list of such words she herself has given in the very beginning of
Nectar in a Sieve with their English renderings. Her Indianness is also seen in her use of vivid
and sensuous imagery, from the common scenes and sights of India.

Markandaya’s use of English is very similar to how an Englishman would use the language, and
yet her novel has clear indication that it is written by an Indian English novelist.
 Module 4: Symbols

Symbols are used by literary artists not only to show a meaning which is hidden but also to
evoke emotions. For instance, Markandaya uses the village, the thatched hut with mud walls,
agriculture, green fields, the garden of beans and brinjals, the birds and other rural objects to
symbolize home and happiness. On the other hand, the city and tannery, brick and cement and
buildings and many urban objects symbolize suffering and misery.
The tannery is a symbol of modernity because its coming threatens the old ways of life. It
transforms the village environmentally and economically. It also transforms the relationships
between the people within the village.
Water is very crucial for an agricultural community. It is powerfully symbolic that Nathan and
Rukmani name their firstborn child Irawaddy, "after one of the great rivers of Asia, as of all
things water was most precious to us." (2.48)
Learning is another symbol of hope in Nectar in a Sieve. As is the case for so much in the novel,
education is a double-edged sword. Ruku’s father decided to educate his children and it helped
Ruku in their time of affliction.
Drums in Nectar in a Sieve symbolize times of great change. An introduction to drumming
occurs at Ira’s wedding (6.11): a drummer joins with a fiddler to make up a whole band.

Module 5: Irony
Irony is a literary device frequently used by writers to indicate the contrariness of human life. It
is a matter of common experience that in life we do not get what we expect or desire. We want
one thing and we get its exact opposite. Thus, the irony of life or circumstance may be defined
as a situation which is the exact opposite of what has been expected or desired. Such situations
seem to have been contrived by malignant fate. Hence, it is also called the irony of fate. Irony of
fate or circumstances or life lies in the frustration of human aspiration. Often irony is used to
show how human beings are puppets in the hands of higher powers and helpless to do what
they want. Irony plays an important part in great works of literature and it is most frequently
used by writers to create tragic effects.
Markandaya’s characters are all the victims of the irony of life or fate; everything happens
contrary to their wishes and expectations. In the life of Rukmani and Nathan, the unexpected
and the undesired constantly happens causing great sorrow and suffering. A brief consideration
of the story of Rukmani and Nathan would make the point clear. They are good and noble, they
have no evil in them; still they are the victims of universal harshness, playthings in the hands of
cruel destiny which takes pleasure in inflicting pain and suffering on them. Had the land not
been sold they would have lived happily. Had they found a home with their son in the city they
would have been comfortable even in the city. But they are forced to leave the village because
of the setting up of the tannery. They are compelled to live on charity in the city. All these are
the examples of irony of fate in the novel.

Module 6: Critical Comments

Industrialization of a rural community brings in its wake a number of problems. Prices begin to
rise and the farmer is unable to make both ends meet by working on the land. There is
hardship, hunger and starvation, and the natural consequence is that people have no option
but to migrate to some industrial town and take up some service in the industry. Rukmani is a
triumph of the spirit of tradition but she is also the child of transition. Through her story the
novelist has represented the travail of rural India in a state of transition from the agricultural
way of life to industrial way of life, from the rural to the urban.
As Dr. Krishna Rao, remarked, “In Nectar in a Sieve Markandaya dramatizes the tragedy of a
traditional Indian village and a peasant family assaulted by Industrialization.”
The disintegration of Rukmani’s family and her consequent suffering is also the story of the
disintegration of the rural mode of life under the assault of Industrialization, along with the
colossal suffering that is caused as a result of the clash of the old and the new. The Tannery is
an industry which comes to the village; it stands for the western and the modern way of life,
and East-West, conservative-progressive, modern-orthodox, tensions and conflicts are thus
woven into the story of Rukmani and Nathan.
The movement of the rural population to the cities is depicted by their leaving their home. But
survival in the city is impossible for them—though cities are often considered as places of
immense opportunity. Nathan’s death in the city is used as a symbol for the cruel destructive
face of modernity which does not allow a good human being like Nathan to live a decent life or
die a decent death.

Module 7: The Three Facets of the Novel and its Conclusion

Markandaya’s novels have a rich texture. They tell a personal story, but the story is told against
a vast social background and we are also told of the conflicts and tensions which cause suffering
and tragedy. For example: Nectar in a Sieve is the autobiography of Rukmani, the social
background is provided by a village in transition, and the conflict and tension are caused by
intrusion of modern industry. Life lived in rural India is the back drop to the personal story of
Rukmani and Nathan, and her suffering and the disintegration of her family, fuse and mingle
with the disintegration of the rural way of life under the impact of modernity.
The Personal Story:
Rukmani who narrates the story of her life from the time she came of age, up to the time she
returns to the village as an old widow and is able to survey her past calmly. She is the child of
transition between the insular, autonomous village life of old and the new village life
dependent upon urban civilization and in constant contact with it.
The Social Background:
In the social background Markandaya depicts rural poverty and bankruptcy. Life in an Indian
village has been realistically depicted with sympathy and skill but without any intrusive
commentary. Society of peasants with their myriad sufferings, hardy attitudes and strong faith
form the backdrop of the novel.
The Wider Conflict:
The suffering of rural dwellers is accentuated as a result of the wider conflict between the
agrarian and industrial way of life. The coming of the Tannery spells ruin and disaster for the
humble villagers, for it is in conflict with their own way of life.
Conclusion: The narrative comes to an end in an open-ended manner bringing to a close the life
of the narrator upto this point. The manner in which Rukmani tells her story suggests that she
relives it with correctives which only hindsight can provide.

Case Studies:
1. Describe the use of colonialism, race, power and modernity in the novel.
 India which is described in the novel is the product of colonization.
 Ruku explicitly says that Kenny has power as a white man. Had he not been from
the white race she would not have such faith in his ability to help her conceive.
 Kenny’s entire hospital endeavor is also exemplary of the kind of projects the
British set up in their colonial campaign to "civilize" the Indian natives which was
seen as an exercise of their power.
 Kenny represents a modern Peace Corps volunteer, spreading the benefits of
modernity to the rest of the world.

2. Write a note on the ending of the novel.

 The novel is open-ended asking the reader to imagine the rest of Ruku’s life.
 Within the context of the narrative structure, the ending marks the completion point in
the circle of Ruku’s story.
 Ruku literally begins chapter one by telling her story in hindsight.
 The present captures the final days of Rukmani’s life as she reminisces on what has
come before. As narrator, Rukmani takes us on a tour through the past events that lead
up to the present.
 The ending of the novel is satisfying as a closure to one chapter of Ruku’s life.
FAQs

1. Give a general estimate of Kamala Markandaya as a novelist.

Kamala Markandaya as a novelist is reflective of the awakened feminine sensibility

in modern India as she attempts to project the image of the changing traditional
society. She uses her feelings and ideas to tell an authentic story which turns into an
enjoyable work of art due to her unique style.

2. Describe Kunthi’s role in the novel?

Kunthi, is a negative character in the novel. She is immoral and corrupt. She has
considerable physical beauty and she makes good use of it. She is slight and thin, “a
woman with fire and beauty in her and the skill to use them”. She is one of those
characters who are a blot on the purity and simplicity of Indian rural life.

3. Do Arjun and Thambi really think they’ll ever return home? How does Ruku know they
won’t? Is the home a safe and comforting space or a confining one?

Arjun and Thambi could not be at home without financial assurance. Different
characters locate their home differently, as home is not a physical location but a
state of mind dictated by comfort.Home is equally a space of comfort and
confinement, depending on whose perspective you’re considering.

4. Why do Nathan and Rukmani leave their village and go to the city?

Nathan and Rukmani are forced off their land because it has been sold to the
tannery. Since they have no other place to stay in the village, they go to the city
hoping to live with their son, Murugan.

5. What are the major themes of the novel ‘Nectar in a Sieve?

Theme of the Home, Theme of Transformation, Theme of Life, Consciousness, and
Existence, Theme of Hunger and Starvation and Theme of East-West Encounter are
some of the major themes of the novel

6. Comment on the tone of the novel.

 The tone of the novel is non-judgmental and thoughtful. Markandaya addresses the best
and worst aspects of rural life and poverty which she saw firsthand traveling through
South India, but she doesn’t get caught up in romanticizing or vilifying aspects of daily
village life.

7. Discuss the significance of water in the novel.

Water is the most crucial necessity in an agricultural area. Nathan and Rukmani
name their firstborn child Irawaddy, "after one of the great rivers of Asia, as of all
things water was most precious to us." This shows how significant water is for them.

8. What are the symbols used to depict happiness and misery in the novel?
The village, the thatched hut with mud walls, agriculture, green fields, the garden of
beans and brinjals, the birds, symbolize home and happiness. On the other hand, the
city and tannery, brick and cement and buildings, symbolize suffering and misery.

9. What is an Epigraph? What is the epigraph of this novel?

Epigraphs are introductory quotations often used in literary works. The epigraph of
this novel comes from the 1825 poem "Work without Hope" by the English Romantic
poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It reads as follows: "Work without hope draws nectar
in a sieve, And hope without an object cannot live."

10. Does the novel have any relationship to India’s political history? Explain.

The novel’s relationship to a specific time in India’s political history is unclear; there
is certainly more than one time period in which the work can be situated.
Markandaya tries to elevate the book beyond political details to make it a more
universal story.

Self-Study Assignment:

1. Read Ruth Prawar Jhwabavala’s novel ‘The Sixth Child” and analyze its theme and
stylistic features.

2. Read and analyze any other novel of Kamala Markandaya.

Quiz:

1. What is the sub- title of the novel, Nectar in a Sieve?

a. Bend in the Ganges
b. Plight of the Farmer
c. Novel of Rural Life in India
 d. Passive Acceptance

2. Who serves as a foil to Rukmani and Ira?

a. Old granny
b. Janaki
c. Kunthi
d. Kali

3. Who is Selvam?
a. Son of Kunthi
b. Son of Nathan and Rukmani
c. Brother of Janaki
d. Son of Biswas

4. Who among the following is the contemporary to Kamala Markandaya?

a. George Bernard Shaw
b. Nanyatara Sahgal
c. Virginia Woolf
d. Raja Rao

5. The story of Nectar in a Sieve is narrated by?

a. Nathan
b. Rukmani
c. Kunthi
d. Ira

6. Character changing through hardship illustrates the theme of

a. Love
b. Transformation
c. Peace
d. Conflict

7. What does “passive acceptance” in the novel mean?

a. Starvation and helpless poverty
b. useless blame on someone
c. accept suffering in a spirit of calm resignation
d. Isolation from family and friends

8. In Nectar in a Sieve, the West is represented by

a. Kunthi
b. Selvam
c. Dr.Kenny
d. Nathan
 9. Nectar in a Sieve is a story of Rukmani’s _____________
a. cheerful and happy life
b. contended life
c. tragic life
d. degradation as the protagonist

10. What has brought unfamiliar people and ways of life to India?
a. Colonialism
b. Spanish Civil war
c. World War I
d. Poverty

Tutorials: Web Based Video:

http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=224066&title=Nectar_in_a_Sieve_Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gybuEB2SW6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es7qrASvEiM&feature=related

http://www.shmoop.com/nectar-in-a-sieve/resources.html

Glossary:
furore= noise
chaff= a joke
pi-dogs= street dogs
lusty= healthy
garrulous= talkative
gruel= soup, rice-water
impotence= weakness
crooning= humming, murmuring
extorted= taken through blackmail
savagely alive= old losses and sufferings became painfully fresh again
membranic= like a thin piece of skin
antagonistic= a feeling of rivalry or enmity

Reference Books:

Dunlea, William. "Tale of India." In Commonwealth, Vol. LXII, No. 20, August 19, 1955, pp.
500-501

Jha, Rekha. The Novels of Kamala Markandaya and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala: A Study in East-West
Encounter. New Delhi: Prestige Books, 1990.
Joseph, Margaret P. Kamala Markandaya, Indian Writers Series, N. Delhi: Arnold-Heinemann,
1980.

Krishna Rao, A. V. The Indo-Anglian Novel and Changing Tradition: A Study of the Novels of Mulk
Raj Anad, Kamala Markandaya, R.K. Narayan, Raja Rao, 1930-64. Mysore: 1972.

Parameswaran, Uma. Kamala Markandaya. Jaipur: Rawat Publications, 2000.

Links:

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/curriculum-planning/teaching-
methods/3740.html?page=3&detoured=1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nectar-in-a-sieve-kamala-markandaya/1101087382