Nectar in a Sieve Literary Essay

Student’s Name:
Professor’s Name:
Course Name:
Date:
Nectar in a Sieve
The book, Nectar in a Sieve written in 1954 by Kamala Markandaya tells the story of Rukmani as she struggles with family life, poverty, infertility and the eventual death of her husband. The novel is set during a period that was marked by increased urbanization and intense economic activity that drove the ever-expanding Indian economy. The protagonist, Rukmani, stood by her principles and never abandons her culture even in the face of multiple changes that occur around her. It is her culture that teaches her the importance of land and why it is given such a prominent place in the book. She is attached to the ground that it is almost viewed as a character within the story. One that she continually turns to for solace and which she cannot live without.
The entire book is based on Rukmani’s attempts to reconnect with her rural life, the land that she is fiercely connected to and her sense of community. The relationship that slowly buds over time between Rukmani and the earth begins very early on, and it is apparent for all to see that so much is premised on the soil that relates to her life. For starters, she is the youngest daughter of the village headman. All through her young life she becomes accustomed to the more elegant things in life and attaches comfort with wealth that includes that large parcels of land. When she is married off at the age of 12, she is distraught by the sight of the mud hut which her husband, Nathan has prepared for her.

Rukmani cannot help but compare it with her father’s, which although was no mansion, was an excellent house. She despairs at first but quickly regains her composure to become an exceptional wife thanks to Nathan’s patience.
Part of her growth as a spouse includes tilling the land to get food. Working on her vegetable garden brings her closer to the earth and quickly associates it with life because of its ability to give them food. The earth’s fertility and beauty marvel her and not too long afterward, Rukmani depends on the ground for spiritual strength. She regularly comments on the levels of beauty that the land possesses which include aesthetic and atmospheric beauty. She is connected to the soil through her unmatched labor and her body. Rukmani is especially endeared to her garden, and the work she does on it represents her coming of age. To be married at 12 means that Rukmani has to experience her unique blend of sexual, emotional and psychological growth and development. This is done through the growth of vegetables that included pumpkins. We see just how much the crops mean to her after her first pumpkin harvest. Rukmani is not only pleased with how they have grown but by the satisfaction and pleasure that the entire process has given her. She says of the experience, “I tried not to show my pride. I tried to be offhand. I put the pumpkin away. But the pleasure was making my pulse beat; the blood, unbidden came hot and surging to my face.” (Markandaya 10)
Even her marriage is tied to the land. Nathan, her husband, is a tenant farmer who owns no property although he dreams of doing so one day. Together, they work as hard as they can to till the soil and provide for their children. Their aspiration is to one-day own land that belongs to them. The union was seen as a step down from what her family usually did. Her father had managed to marry off three of Rukmani’s sisters to relatively wealthy individuals. However, his status as headman was no longer a prominent or influential position due to colonization. As her brother notes, “There is the Collector who comes to these villages once a year, and to him is the power and to those he appoints, not the headman.” (Markandaya 4) This forms the basis for Rukmani’s life of hardship and poverty as well as the sentimental attachment she develops to the land. Her marital and financial situations force her to work hard just to feed her family. She is forced to depend on the earth for her life and the life of her children.
Perhaps nothing illustrates the importance of land more than the seasons of drought when it produces nothing and more so when it is taken away from those who possess it. The unforgiving patterns of the setting in the novel are contrasted as drought and flood. No one understands the region more than Rukmani, but this does nothing to alleviate the hunger that bites her family during the drought. Her first child is Ira, her daughter and after several years without a son, she bears five in quick succession. Her desire to give Nathan sons is indicative of the traditional values she holds so close. However, more children mean more mouths to feed and unfortunately, nature is unrelenting. They hunger they suffer is a dark reminder that the land respects no one regardless of who you are. Rukmani’s family goes through extremely tough periods because the inability of the earth to produce. At one point, Ira is forced to prostitute herself to feed her youngest brother. Whether it was flood or drought, they were in constant danger of not having food. The fact that they could not control the weather and what the land brought forth is a testament to the power of earth.
When things became even tighter, and the owner of the land refuses to lease it back to Nathan whose strength declined on a daily basis, the family is rendered homeless. It is apparent that her family is very dependent on this small parcel of land for everything ranging from food to shelter. When it is taken away, so is their lively hood and shelter. The problems that ensue prove to show the essence of the land on which they lived. When the rent is demanded, the drought has hit so hard that they barely have anything to eat let alone pay the lease. They convince the landlord’s servant to cut them a deal where they would recompense after the next harvest. However, he asks them to sort at least half. They are forced to sell their most prized assets including their bullocks, Rukmani’s best saris, and some spices. This does not even amount to half of the money they are owed. “One hundred and twenty-five rupees… Not half of what we owe…” CITATION Mar54 p 57 l 1033 (Markandaya 57) They set out in search of their son Murugan only to discover that he has abandoned his wife. Because of their pride, they decide against staying at their daughter-in-law’s house. They are virtually reduced to beggars who depend on handouts given at the temple. Even when Puli helps them secure a job at a local quarry, the conditions are so harsh that Nathan eventually dies. Throughout their stay in the city, all that the family wanted was to go back home. However, they have no home to go back to. Rukmani takes the death of her husband very hard. All of the things that happen to them after they are disposed of their land serves to show the prominence of the earth and how essential it is to them. For Rukmani, it seems that no matter how much she loves and appreciates the land, the feelings are not necessarily reciprocated.
Rukmani is attached to the ground that it is almost viewed as a character within the story. One that she continually turns to for solace and which she cannot live without. She often refers to the land as the soil in Nectar in the Sieve. This is a demonstration of the affection she has for the earth. She feared, respected and adored it all at once. She always thought that the land was beautiful and had a reverence for it, unlike most people. It gave her and her family food and shelter and through simple acts of gardening, helped her become a woman after she gets married. However, Rukmani quickly learns that the relationship she shares with the land is in no way equal. At times, the earth does not give her food, and eventually, it is taken away from her. However, despite all this, she understands that the single most crucial friend and asset she can have is the land.
Works Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY Markandaya, Kamala. Nectar in a Sieve. New Delhi: John Day Company, 1954. Print.