NECTAR IN A SIEVE
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
In this article I shall discuss the character sketch of Rukmani from the novel Nectar in a Sieve.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
CHARACTER SKETCH OF RUKMANI
Rukmani is the protagonist-narrator of the story. They are four sisters and she is the youngest of them.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
Their father was the village headman and hence was a person of much power and influence. Her three elder sisters were married off with great pomp and show. But when Rukmani attained her marriageable age her father was no longer a village headman.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
Hence, nothing much was left for Rukmani. Moreover Rukmani was a plain looking girl. So when Rukmani was twelve years old she was married to Nathan, who was a mere tenant farmer and had no land of his own. Everyone present felt Rukmani was married beneath herself and this obviously made Rukmani feel deeply humiliated.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
Rukmani left her father’s home with a heavy heart in a bullock-cart with Nathan, her husband. The memory of that day is always fresh in her mind. She was overcome by a sudden sickness when the time of departure arrived.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE CHARACTERS
Rukmani’s mother stood at the doorway, her eyes swelled with tears. Her father stood a little ahead of her mother, to see that they go safely on their way. Nathan sat on the bullock-cart. Her parents placed a tin trunk full of cooking vessels and Rukmani’s saris next to him. She somehow sat beside her husband with down cast eyes. Rukmani was full of humiliation. She wondered how she would live the rest of her married life. Her husband soothed her and consoled her. After sometime she felt better.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
When at last she reached her new home, she was again wrapped up in disappointment. It was a small thatched mud hut, set near a paddy field with two or three similar mud huts. Across the doorway hung a garland of mango leaves. There were only two rooms and an unfinished third one. She sank down with grief and frustration.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE CHARACTERS
Nathan did his best to comfort her and Rukmani too controlled herself soon and said the house quite suited her. Infact she could not bear the look of pain on Nathan’s face. She learned that the hut was made by Nathan with his own hands for her. He worked for many hours and days. She was touched and henceforth loved and admired her husband and happily lived with him.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
Rukmani was a sensible and prudent housewife and hence managed her home very well. As there were no female members in the house to help her with her chores, she had to do everything herself. She didn’t know anything but learnt everything from her neighbors and friends Janaki and Kali. Hardly a week since her marriage, she started going to the village stream for washing clothes.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
Rukmani made many friends among the village womenfolks because of her humble and gentle nature. She did not like Kunthi much but was close to Janki and Kali. However when Kunthi gave birth to her first child, Rukmani served her, though she herself was with child.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
She even tried to increase the family income by sowing some vegetable in the small patch of ground at the back of their cottage. Her vegetables and pumpkins grew well and Nathan admired her skill. The vegetables she grew were more than enough for them to eat. Hence, the rest she sold in the market. She even saved the cost of purchasing fuel by collecting cow-dung from the neighboring fields early in the morning. Even in days off prosperity she saved aside for the rainy days.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
Soon after marriage Rukmani gave birth to her first child, a daughter, who was named Irawaddy. The event of her birth was duly celebrated. But after that Rukmani did not conceive for full seven years. During one visits to her mother’s house she met Dr. Kenningworth, popularly known as Kenny. She confided to him her trouble and and by his treatment she conceived again. In times she gave birth to six sons.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE CHARACTERS
Rukmani never told Nathan about her visits to Kenny. This was the only secret she ever had from her husband. Kunthi took advantage of Rukmani’s relationship with Kenny and blackmailed her. Nathan too was a victim of Kunthi’s charms and fathered her sons.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
Very soon misfortune enveloped her life. But she dealt with them with patience, courage and determination. She never forgot her duty towards her husband and children.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
Rukmani hated the tannery and the city that claimed her sons one after another. With the coming up of the tannery, their hardships rose. Then there was heavy and incessant rain that destroyed all their crops. There were days when they couldn’t even have rice-water. Her sons Arjun and Thambi lost their job in the tannery and went away to Ceylon. Her third son Murugan was given a placement by Kenny in the city. The guards caught Raja stealing hide from the tannery and beat him on the head which took away his life.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
Kuti died of starvation. Ira, who was already deserted by her husband took to prostitution to feed Kuti. She gave birth to a sickly Albino child. The heaviest blow came in the form of a notice from Biswas, the moneylender. He asked them to vacate their land since they could not pay their dues. Rukmani bore all those with courage and patience.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
After vacating the land they had to travel to the city and seek shelter with there son Murugan. But hardship and distress followed her there too. At the beginning they could not trace Murugan in that big city. At last with the help of Puli, they reached the address where Murugan lived. To their utter distress they found there not Murugan but his wife Ammu who lived with her children. Murugan had left her for gambling and other women.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE
Ammu made it clear to them that she already was starving with her children. Hence was not in the position to give them shelter. They once more returned to the temple and started leading the life of a beggar on charity. They needed money to return to their village. Rukmani wrote letters to earn money but it was not sufficient.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE CHARACTERS
All these time she took proper care of her sick husband. She even started saving for the return fare to their village. But fate again betrayed her. One day while it was raining Nathan got fully drenched. He was already suffering from fever and getting wet in the rain increased his fever and he died. Rukmani, broke down completely after the death of Nathan. She ultimately returned to the village with Puli, whom she treated like her own son.
NECTAR IN A SIEVE CHARACTERS
Rukmani is one of the poor and the down-trodden but at the same time she is one of the immoral characters of literature. She symbolises the suffering soul of India through the ages. Her life story once read can never be forgotten. Although she is a victim of malevolent fate, she retains her courage and endurance up to the end. She is a very strong character portrayed by Kamala Markandaya – a character who can not be destroyed under any circumstance. She Brent’s herself low in a storm for a while but again had the ability to stand upright.
