“There is no going back. Bend like the grass, that you do not break” (Markandaya 28). The character Nathan, in Nectar in a Sieve written by Kamala Markandaya accepts change and “bends like the grass”. But the main protagonist, Rukmani, resists change at first. She believes it is better to fight back. Eventually she comes to realize however, change can be good and bad. Markandaya believes it is better to accept what cannot be changed rather than resist it and this is shown throughout her writing.
In Nectar and a Sieve, Rukmani is the main protagonist. Therefore, it can be argued Rukmani’s views are parallel to Markandaya’s because Markandaya has created this character from her own imagination. At the beginning of the book the tannery is built and Rukmani is angry because she believes it will bring changes she will not like. She says, “But the change that now came into my life, into all our lies, blasting its way into our village, seemed wrought in the twinkling of an eye” (Markandaya 25). Rukmani is resisting the tannery and the people who come with it because they are different. They are not familiar to Rukmani and this scares her. Other characters in the book such as Arjun and Nathan are more accepting of the change. Nathan tells Rukmani it is better to accept change because it can be beneficial (Markandaya 28). Eventually, Rukmani begins to take Nathan’s advice. By the end of the book Rukmani has begun to “bend like the grass” which is what Markandaya believes is best. While her and Nathan are in the city, Nathan is resistant to the change in scenery. He says, “Better to starve where we were bred than to live here “ (Markandaya 166). But Rukmani has accepted that they will probably be in the city for a little while. She does...
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...mbat it. This is shown through the main character, Rukmani’s, evolvement from resistance to acceptance of change throughout the story, and the end of the story ending on a positive note once Rukmani makes the decision to welcome her new, changed life. Markandaya had to learn how to accept change in her own life as well. She was born in a small village in India, but lived in London for most of her adult life. This is very similar to the changes Rukmani had to make during her life. The similarities between the two women are so identical because they are essentially the same person; Rukmani being created from the mind of Markandaya. Nectar in a Sieve is not just a great novel, it is a lesson in living life to the fullest and the necessity to accept change so you do not break.
Works Cited
Markandaya, Kamala. Nectar in a Sieve. New York: Signet Classics, 2010. Print
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