The tannery is, among many things, a symbol of modernity. It transforms the village environmentally and economically. It also transforms the relationships between the people within the village. People like Kunthi are glad for the tannery, while Rukmani sees its filthiness and commercialism as a threat to village life.
Ruku's quiet village is disrupted by the arrival of a tannery. She is unhappy about the changes, but Nathan wisely advises her to learn to adapt so that she will not be broken. Ruku must soon face other changes as well; Ira must be married and moves far away from her family.
The family is able to live: Rukmani's sons dutifully bring her home their rupee per day, and Nathan continues to work the land. Ruku is able to put food aside for her family. She does, however, finally resign herself to the fact that she cannot save up for another dowry for Ira.
climaxThe night Rukmani loses herself to a rage so intense that she tries to kill her daughter, mistaking her for Kunthi, is the moment when there can be no turning back for her in the choice between good and evil.
Rukmani regrets that the tannery has come to her village. Nathan assures her that they will be back, and there's nothing that can be done about it.
At first she merely threatens Rukmani with exposure, but as her conditions becomes more dire, Kunthi extorts food from both Rukmani and Nathan. Her power comes from their fear and is so strong and evil that Rukmani and Nathan risk their family's starvation to satisfy her.
Instead, Ruku ends the novel on a hopeful note. She has returned home to her happy place, has her family by her side, and a new chapter of her life lies before her. We know she is aging, and so her dying days are inevitably upon her, but Markandaya doesn't want her death to be the take-home message of the whole novel.
The title is a beautiful way to talk about the inevitable draining of life in the face of suffering and death.
Selvam. Rukmani and Nathan's fifth son. Selvam is conscientious and hardworking, but he does not take to farming. When Kenny offers him the job as assistant in his hospital, Selvam embraces the opportunity.
Although Nectar in a Sieve is an Indian story, it was written in English for Western readers, perhaps to give a glimpse into the hardships endured by people in Asia. The subject matter, however, threatens to distance readers from the work because of the pervasive hopelessness that runs throughout the novel.
Bend like the grass that you do not break.” ( p.32) Nathan gives this advice to Ruku as she laments the coming of the tannery. The tannery brings many changes, most are unpleasant, but Nathan realizes they cannot return to their quiet former life.
Puli sits and watches them, but he comes in handy when he rescues them from their own distraction. The hoisting of a red flag signals impending explosions at the quarry, and Puli once pulls Nathan and Ruku to safety away from the blast when they don't notice the flag.