Nectar in a Sieve is a fictional account told in flashback of struggles and endurance in a changing India. Rukmani, the main character, describes the great joys and terrible sorrows of her life as the wife of a tenant rice farmer in a village on the brink of industrial change. Themes address agricultural economy versus industrialization; coping with grinding poverty; the celebration of the power of the human spirit; and the cultural roles of men and women.
Students examine character and theme; recognize examples of foreshadowing and make inferences about them; and analyze allusion, point of view, plot, structure, conflict, and figurative language. They also study the book’s epigraph by Coleridge in relationship to the story, consider Hinduism as an element of setting, learn about gender roles in rural India, and explore cultural differences.
Supplementary materials feature research topics, suggestions for additional reading, creative and critical writing assignments, and quizzes with answer keys.
