Question

Choose one of the following symbols: the tannery, literacy/learning, rice, the bullocks. In at least 150 words, identify what it represents and explain how it connects to one of the novel’s themes.

Answer 1

In Nectar in a Sieve (1954) by Kamala Markandaya, the bullocks symbolize the life of the peasants. Just like Nathan and Rukmani, the bullocks emphasize the harmony of nature. Furthermore, they are hardworking as the peasants and suffer due to the injustice of overwork. At one point in the novel, one of the bullocks is affected by a serious sore; however, the animal must keep working in order for the carter to survive. The same happens with the peasants: they must continue working even when they are starving. In this sense, the bullocks are also connected to one of the novel's central themes: the suffering, which is presented as a natural part of life. Characters such as Rukmani feel they cannot do anything to relieve their suffering; however, Rukmani's last son, who spends his life trying to end with his suffering, is the exception.  

Answer 2

Rukmani's life is filled with struggle, yet she remains resolutely optimistic about her future. Married off to a poor rice farmer at the age of 12, Rukmani struggles through loneliness, infertility, starvation, and great loss with persevering optimism. The novel's title, Nectar in a Sieve, refers to nectar, a sweet liquid, and a sieve, a device with meshes that allows liquid to pass through while trapping solids in the device. The title suggests Rukmani's ability to appreciate the short, sweet moments in life before they disappear. During the Deepavali celebration in Chapter 10, for example, Rukmani's family struggles to eat, yet she doles out precious pennies for the children to buy fireworks because "it is only once ... a memory." Similarly, at the end of the novel when she and Nathan have been saving to return to the village, she feels overcome with happiness while at the market with Puli. She buys fried pancakes instead of plain rice cakes and wooden toys for the children: "Well, if we are extravagant it is only once." No matter what suffering comes Rukmani's way, she maintains optimism that life can only get better. She tells Kenny, "Want is our companion from birth to death." Rather than wallow in what's lacking, Rukmani always chooses to look ahead: to the next meal, the next year, or the next harvest.