Nectar In a Sieve (Chapters 1-15) – Flashcards

Pen name (pseudonym): Kamala Markandaya Real name: Kamala Puraiya Taylor Married Has 1 daughter Born: 1924 Died: 2004 (79/80) -From kidney failure Moved many times: from India to England Wrote 10/11 novels (1954-1983) *Nectar In a Sieve* 1st novel published -1954 3rd novel written Genre: Historical Fiction

- Present: Rukmani is 40 yrs old, dreaming of her husband, Puli, Selvam, Kenny, sees hospital that was built - Novel Begins with a *flashback* - * Novel is written in first POV * - She had 5 siblings (mom had 6 children including Rukmani): 3 sisters, 2 brothers, and her. > She could not have a luxurious wedding as her 2 eldest sisters (3rd's wedding was worse) as father could not afford 4 grand dowries and R. was not extraordinarily pretty and thus had no such beauty that could make up for a small dowry (dowry needed 2 give women to man) > married (at 12) to a tenant farmer (Nathan- who does not own the land on which he works- rents it) > relatives say she married beneath her but she disagrees "for a finer man no one could have had." - Shocked at her new house - a mud hut (Kali later reveals the secret that Nathan had built it himself- Kali is garrulous (talkative + prone to gossip)) > collapses at the sight of it. - Nathan is a rice farmer - Foreshadows to hardship in later life - Secret: Kali tells R. that N. built the hut himself - Meets 3 women while washing her clothes in the river Kali: garrulous Janaki: married to village shopkeeper (Perumal) Kunthi: youngest, quiet, pretty, then pregnant - R. feels that there is a barrier, between her and the rest. -People of the village 1) Old Granny: sells and buys veggies; matchmaker 2) Biswass: shopkeeper; moneylender 3) Hanuman- merchant 4) Perumal: orginal shopkeeper - R. + N. eat well 4 2 people - Helps Kunthi when she is weak in pregnancy. - Begins a garden # first crop - good pumpkins : very happy and *N. encourages her little accomplishments*.

- R. helps Kunthi give birth to her son- Kunthi does not want her there. - N. is angered by R. saying long 2 help Kunthi as she is pregnant as well (* + we later learn that this may have been N.'s child - chp. 14 - as he is the father of Kunthi's sons) - R. can read and write ( her father taught all six of his children); N. can, but *does not forbid R. from doing it* (patrical society) - Kali (and R.'s mother) does not see the value in literacy. - But R. wants to teach her children - Prior to Ira's birth, N. kills a cobra > bad omen. - Has baby girl- named Irawaddy after one of the greatest rivers in Asia- water is most important to them; nicknamed Ira- R. is a bit upset at first as it was a disgrace to have a daughter as a 1st born in India (patriarchal society) - Ira is very beautiful - Mom comes to see baby

-Many yrs have passed (7): R. cannot seem to conceive> she and N. fear that they will only have 1 female child (Ira). -When Ira is 6: Mom becomes very sick (eventually dies) -Mom gives R. lingam stone for fertility (symbol) -Dad calls in a new,foreign, British (white) doctor - Kennington (Kenny) to help Mom - Kenny helps R. (medically) to conceive a son - R. does not tell N. this as she does not know how he will react to her putting herself in the hands of a foreigner. - Eventually has 5 sons: 1)Ira 2)Arjun 3)Thambi 4)Murugan 5)Raja 6)Selvam [7) Eventually Kuti - Chp. 11] - N. holds feast for the birth of the 1st son (Arjun) [on the 10th day from birth] -There is less food with more and more children (WORSENING ECONOMIC STATE) - Ira starts to wear clothes at 5 at N.'s acknowledgement - R. starts to sell vegetables to help family w/money 1) First sells to Old Granny 2) Then to Biswas as he offers her a better price (almost double) > eventually stops selling to OG. - R. starts to save money for Ira's dowery

-Tannery comes! - Some people such as Kannan the chakkli (shoemaker) are upset ("as if he owned us"). - Presence of construction workers is good in the fact that they buy all rope twisted by women + traders make great profit -Workers build huts and bring wives and children - Traders upset when they 1st leave (as they made great profit form tanners w/high wages) -Rukmani does not like them; glad when they leave. 1) Upset by noise and clamour 2) Economic Uprise (bazzar prices become too high for them) - But N. claims that the tanners/townspeople will return and that she must adapt. "Bend like the grass, that you do not break." (simile) 3) Once bucolic (calm) village is becoming - More townspeople come w/wives and children - People begin to accept it (Kunthi loves it- she is originally from a town)- EXCEPT for R. (Kali likes attention; Opportunities for Janaki's sons) - *Village is slowly becoming a town* - Ira is maturing fast > N. and R. begin to restrict her more as soon (if they are not careful) "violations" may occur and it will be hard to find a husband (as said by Kali)

-*Zemindar: landlord/landowner -*Sivaji: rent collector for land-owner - R. collect dung to be used for fuel and protection against water, small rodents and insects, and heat (seals cracks) - Sees Kenny: who disagrees w/ their use of dung as it is fertilizer for the land which is life to them. - R. takes K. to see children - *R. and K.'s relationship is unequal as K. is british and superior- R. even calls him her benefactor as he gave her fertility treatments for sons*. - K. impressed by Irawaddy(who kept her eyes down as a form of respect) and others (sons) - *R. and N. are living hand-to-mouth* (pay-check to pay-check/harvest to harvest; having little money left over after you pay the bills): poor w/many children to feed - When N. + K. meet, R. is worried that K. will mention how he helped R. with conceiving a son (as R. did not tell N. as she does not know how he will react) > K. does not say anything. - K. starts to bring and send things for R.'s children. - K. is constantly coming and going from their village- no one dares to ask why.

- Ira has an arranged marriage at 14 - Match maker: OG 1) At 1st, R. was hesitant to ask OG as she had stopped selling veggies to her > but OG holds no grudge [ R. did not want Kali to do it as she might want her own sons to marry Ira, but they are not suitable for Rukmani -Win very good husband (heir to land) despite a small dowry of only 100 rupees *as Ira is very beautiful- pointed out by OG.* - Ira wears the red sari that R. wore at her wedding - Decent wedding, as R. had saved money since Ira's birth1, yet not too elaborate as N. did not want any debt. - Everyone says that Ira and her husband are a good match> R. foreshadows that is would indeed be too good to be true.

- The monsoon breaks! - R. and N.'s hut is not weather-proof now as R. was so occupied w/Ira's wedding in the past months and upset w/ her departure - Roof leaks, crops fail, family is hungry for the 8 days of the monsoon. - Some neighbors fare worse than they do- Kali's hut completely destroyed. - After monsoon R. and N. go out w/ 2 out of 12 saved rupees ,must buy rice and palm trees to thatch roof against more possible rain. - Village is destroyed, only the *tannery*withstands the storm efficiently> *symbol of industrialization + change (village 2 town)* - When the go back (R. + N.)... 1) Go to Hanuman first who has no rice to sell; only enough for wife and children 2) Go to Biswass: who has raised the price of rice as it is scarce yet in high demand (he is the only one who has it to sell) -Gives them only 2 ollocks for thier 2 rupees > "charity" > "because he knows them" - Meet Kenny # he is angry and rabid - shouts: that their people will never learn = thinks their poverty is shameful = does not understand why they don't fight discomfort = does not understand their meek, obedient way of life in suffering - R. (and N.) don't understand him. - The family benefits from the flooding of the paddy fields as they obtain much fish to live off in lack of rice (paddy)

- Kunthi enjoys the presence of the tannery 1) Her sons are 1 of the first villagers 2 work there 2) Excited about it becoming a town 3) More men > attention 4 her as she is beautiful # Kunthi calls J, Kali, and R. senseless peasant women # Janaki calls her a trollop (prostitute: female) - Janaki's family must leave the village 1) *Her husband's shop could not compete w/ the new shops that opened with the tannery: profitable for merchants and traders* - Tannery is growing- *taking land from people* - New tannery officials move in... 1) 9/10 Muslims in addition to the original white man - Muslims form a colony of their own just outside the town. - R. thinks that the veils, employees to do housework, and confined ways of the Muslim women are peculiar. R. enjoys her lifestyle: open, experiencing the air and sunshine, working beside the men. [Kali on the other hand would rather have their life- Kali's husband says the discussion is useless] - Once she sells her veggies to a Muslim woman.

- Ira is returned by her husband as she is barren woman still after 5 yrs of their marriage. [# Ira does not want comfort from Mother] - Arjun wants to work at the tannery (R. had taught him to read and write) 1) Says Kunthi's son has promised to help, but R. does not want to be in debt to queer Kunthi. 2) Says that she will ask Kenny to help him # Arjun hints that he thinks that R. and K. have some kind of relationship (sexual) [ white men have power... especially over women] - Soon Thambi joins him at the tannery - N. is very upset as he had wanted sons to work w/ him on the land # Thambi insults him even further by reminding him that N. does not own the land and thus there is no good profit. ["Words are like weapons they wound you- Cher"] - *With A. and T.'s job earnings the family begins to LIVE BETTER*. # can buy new clothes (R. and N. have the wedding garments but do not wish to disgrace their sons on the day of their weddings.) # store some food (including chilies- can flavor plain rice slightly)

-Deepavali = Festival of Lights - *R. gives children money for a luxery of fireworks (BETTER ECONOMIC STATE)* - Selvam does not want to go to bonfire > Ira stays with him + she did not rlly want to show herself in town after being barren and returned by husband. - Holiday is a spark of rare joy for R. + family (which helps to symbolize the hardships in their daily lives) - After bonfire N. becomes overwhelmed w/joy + [temporary] loss of worry 1) Picks R. up > she becomes embarrassed ("at our age.. you ought to be ashamed") 2) N. tells her that life is good and that she is beautiful 3) N. is in high spirits all the way home - N. and R. make love that night.

-It is the Festival of Light - Light has religious significance - New yr. - Also spelled "Diwali" or "Devali" - Light: symbol of hope + truth, good nature (darkness = evil nature),bringer of life, necessary for crop > harvest = life in that society. - People wear new clothes (as did R.'s family) - Small oil lamps lighted during the night to signify good over evil; for goddess Lakshmi(as did R.) - In/From the Ramanaya

- R. goes to Kenny about Ira (being barren) when N. is at a male relative's funeral (patriarchal) [ as she fears that if N. knew he would be upset and forbid her to go w/Ira, and she thinks that this is Ira's only chance ] - After frightening her unintentionally: Kenny agrees to help Ira all that he can, but "...no promises". - *New threat: Kunthi* # she had seen R. w/Kenny and thinks that R. is having a sexual relationship w/him. # could tell N. - R. gets so afraid and upset that she begins to shake and squeeze her > it is revealed that Kunthi has been working as a prostitute (shown by nakedness, rose petals in her hair, paint of her mouth)(trollop,strumpet, *****; male = gigolo) ^ *Euphemism*: a term used that is less harsh - such as escort 4 a prostitute. -*Kunthi now has something with which she can blackmail R if she ever wants to gain an upperhand in their relationship*. ^ *Extortion/Blackmail* is what Kunthi (antagonist besides tannery + change of industrialization + fate) could present R. w/ in the future, *if she ever wants to gain an upper hand in their relationship*. - Ira is even more depressed and queer >* turns away from her mother in jealousy when R. is pregnant*. - When child is born he is quite small (assumes that it is as she is older now)> Kuti = tiny- Ira is very happy > *becomes herself again* - N. is happy but R. is worried about Ira's future> it takes a visit from OG (srry about the marriage as she arranged it) to make her accept it. - *R. has now accepted the tannery, change to town (of village), and Ira's fate* - Only rebels when weak or asleep

- On the day that the tannery does not work: N. is very happy as A. + T. help him in the paddy field. - A. + T. lead a boycott against wages (want more) > lose jobs * [Into the calm lake of our lives, the first stone had been tossed": metaphor and foreshadowing] * - A. says as Kenny did - "People will never learn" # R. does not see why they should fight as they will always lose (differences in cultural views) - N. is again the sole provider > life "hand-to-mouth" once more (idiom). - *A. + T. decide to work in the tea plantations of Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka)- employers promise to teach and pay for long journey - *R. is upset as she knows that they will never see them again - *N. understands that they are now men. - *Murugan goes to work as a servant at K's recommendation. - *N. looks at their promising land for optimism*, which he shares with Rukmani. - R. talks to K. about his personal life finally - K. has a wife, kids, home but he travels 4 work. Back and forth as he can only stand the poverty of India and its people in small quantities. - R. is not offended

-The *drought* comes > nothing to harvest - Sivaji comes, yet they cannot pay due rent as there is no crop - Sivaji says that the will be asked to leave the land if they cannot pay- must pay at least half now - Must sell clothes and pots to get money- though its not even half (only 125 rupees) 1) R.strikes a deal w/Biswas for what she wants as he "admires her" and wants to help her. - R. and N. fight over whether or not to sell the seed - R. is sure that he is not angry w/her directly: he is merely worried and did not mean to be harsh - Sivaji takes the deal (125 rupees, though less than half): *a good man, it is hard for him to do such harsh things to people for who he feels sympathy yet that is required of his occupation* FL: * The rain came lashing down, making up in fury for the long drought giving the grateful land as much as it could suck and more. But in us there was nothing left--- no joy, no call for joy. It had come to late: personification*.

- Drought has lasted several months and the new harvest had not grown yet.- *"remember neighbor when you work for mother nature, you get payed by father time"- Summer Stock: Judy Garland> as farmers they will not get food and profit until time passes and crop grows* - Dried fish stocks done- R. goes to her secret rice hoards and divides it into 24 portions. - "Hope and Fear" paragraph: personification. - *R.'s and N.'s nightmares are possible sources of foreshadowing* N.: paddy field is lost R.: a shadowy figure comes and takes their precious, stored rice. [ *Dream Analysis* ^ 1) Joseph from the Bible (old testament) interpreted the dreams for the pharoh of Egypt (7 fat cows, slowly shrink into skinny ones > Egypt will fall) 2) Dr. Sigmund Freud: Austrian doc., father of psychoanalysis: study human mind and dreams ] - Kunthi comes who has been served *poetic justice (a form of revenge upon the wicked that is often quite fitting, appropriate, or ironic; a taste of your own medicine)* # Kunthi lost the one thing she treasured most: *her beauty and sexual magnetism* - Kunthi has lost her husband - *Kunthi extorts the rice from R., saying that she will tell N. how she saw R. w/K. and what she thinks > R. is especially scared as she knows that Kunthi is shrewd and may make N. believe her twisted story due to angry, jealousy, or simply due to the fret he has endured due to the drought* - > R. gives her rice> thinks they have 9 rations left> but there is only a day's ration> R. thinks her children did it but *it was N.* - *Kunthi had extorted rice from N. by saying that she will tell R. how N. IS THE FATHER OF KUNTHI'S TWO ELDEST SONS! (her husband was impotent maybe against her, maybe in sex, maybe both)- the second was conceived after R. + N. were married!> Fertility problem after Ira was Rukmani's! * - They tell each other everything> *now marriage can begin to heal.* - Rice is gone> now they scavenge for food - All become skinny and scrawny - Kuti suffers the most, and Ira is gentlest with him.

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