A Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala MarkandayaEssay Preview: A Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala MarkandayaReport this essayGrowing up in a rich family and then getting married to a tenant farmer. Having to work in the fields, growing your own crops and raising 7 children, these are the troubles that Rukmani went through in A Nectar in a Sieve. In this novel by Kamala Markandaya, Rukmani is the daughter of a wealthy man. Being of the Indian culture, Rukmani has to get an arrange marriage. Her marriage is to a tenant farmer named Nathan. Nathan and Rukmani live in a village where they make their own food and clothes. They grow crops and sell them to earn money (rupee). Sometimes the crops dont grow and they dont have money. Having no money causes many problems for them, and these problems of theirs cause them to risk their life so they go on a journey to find some.
Rukmani and Nathan have 7 children together. One child is Kuti. Kuti is a young 5 year old, weak boy. During this time in the novel, there is a drought and the crops dont grow. The family has to survive on little rice because the paddy wont ripen for another three weeks. Kuti cant sleep at night because he is covered in a horrible rash which he cant stop itching. Kuti is also losing his eyesight. His mother Rukmani is worried that he will die soon. As the days go by, Rukmani sees a change in his condition. The rashes go away and he looks healthier. At night, Rukmani sees a girl walking by her hut. Thinking its Kunthi, her friend who tries to steal her rice from her, Rukmani furiously attacks the woman and realizes its her daughter Ira. Rukmani sees Ira wearing bangles and she wonders where she got them. While washing Iras sari, Rukmani finds a rupee. Ira says that she has earned that rupee. She has been escaping at night to be a prostitute to earn money. “Tonight and tomorrow and every night, so long as there is need. I will not hunger anymore.”(Chapter 16, pg 98) She uses the money to buy food for her brother Kuti. If the family had money, Ira wouldnt have to risk her health to earn money to help her younger brother.
After Rukmani and Nathan are forced out of their home by the tannery, they need a place to stay. Their other children Irawaddy and Selvam decide to stay in the same village. Rukmani and Nathan sell most which they do not need and take the money earned to go live with their son who moved to the city. They use the money to get a bullock cart to get them there and they pack some items for their journey. When they get to the city, they feel tired so they sleep on the streets. While sleeping, someone takes their money and they cant buy food. “But how? We have no money. My husband can till and sow and reap with skill, but here there is no land. I can weave and spin, or plait matting, but there is no money for spindle, cotton or fiber. For where shall a man turn who has no money? Where can he go? Wide, wide world, but as narrow as the coins in your hand. Like
I have no choice, I mean in a place of life, wherever I go. All I ask is money. You should be able to tell, I don’t even know this place. I don’t care for a dollar, much less a thousand dollars. I don’t have the courage or the means to make a living in a place where the government has no money, just like it didn’t when they stole your house or your car. It does not matter how good a person you are or the circumstances you have found in your life, what matters is what makes you feel safe, loved, happy. Your family, from the way you feel most comfortable and your friends with you like you need to have their privacy. That is why you must not be afraid of a stranger, this is why I don’t want a stranger. •
I don’t want a stranger. It keeps me from getting raped. The problem is, a man has no power or authority over a woman, no control over the actions that a woman may do or say. For example, I was told by the police that it was impossible for a man to rape a woman without knowing who she is, a woman would be left to his own devices. When my parents came to their home and begged them not to rape me, they said no, they needed to rape me and that is what they did not want, you see? I was made to think they were going to take me out to visit friends and I don’t want such a place, because they have no power over what’s happening to me, I don’t have power. I’m not free. You are. A few days later, another group of rape survivors came to the home and told us that they knew where we were and if we didn’t leave a message out they would find that we were still there. The rapes went on without any incident of violence, because this one just happened so quickly. I was in denial all over that we had been assaulted. We knew that we are being abused. Yet we didn’t have some control over our actions. Not that they wanted to rape us when they did have permission. We were being forced out of their home. We don’t want a man to rape me. I feel bad, because I know that the police did not want to rape me and there is no reason for us to be afraid anymore. The rape survivors only took that from us or we would not have it. So how did we do it, how did we get away with it? I don’t even want to say. •
I’m not free now, I’m not alone, yet I get raped a lot in my life. This is happening as I see it. A few weeks later I learned that I had gotten over the idea that I wanted to marry some women who didn’t like me. I was told if I could make a living doing what I loved to do I would leave the area of my marriage, but if I did that I would be in danger of being raped again and she could easily get over. That’s why I wanted to marry and I was willing to marry a little boy whom she really loved, but no one had ever told me that I was