Essay On Markandaya's Nectar In A Sieve

670 Words3 Pages
As a teenager it is astonishing to see how much Ira shows her passion for her family, for most teenagers push theirs aside in shame. In the novel Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya, Ira demonstrates the importance of family, and the value of having such forgiving parents. As Ira's life collapses into depression she retracts back to living with her family and promptly falls back into her commonplace as an active household member, for as soon as Kuti is born she treats him as her own son, then when Kuti begins suffering from starvation Ira intervenes by becoming a prostitute, and she finally gives birth to her only child in the affair. When Ira is abandoned by her husband for being unable to conceive, she returns home to her family. Despite her own struggles, her mother, Rukumani, births another child, and we see a change in "Ira: the transformation in her was astonishing as it was inexplicable. I had feared she might dislike the child, but now it was as if he were her own." (Markandaya 65). Although Ira is jealous of her mother’s fertility, she still succors her mother give tender care to her newest born son,…show more content…
As Ira sees Kuti’s suffering grow from starvation, she obtains a job as a prostitute in order to feed and heal Kuti. In this process, Rukumani witnesses a change in Kuti’s appearance, for "Ira had fed him and freed him from hunger." (Markandaya 101) but now "No man will look at you, defaced as you are." (Markandaya 103). Although Ira’s job makes her undesirable by a new husband, she’s willing to do anything to provide her brother necessary life resources. Despite the fact that Kuti passes away even with the effort of his sister, Ira would not regenerate her reputation in exchange for the extra time she got with Kuti. Even though prostitution ruined her reputation, Ira gained a few extra days with Kuti, and was granted her first
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    men are expected to work more and provide the primary source of income for the family. The women in Nectar in a Sieve, by Kamala Markandaya, seem to have a higher status and be valued more than the women in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. This difference in gender equality has more to do with the men leading the main family in each book than their communities’ views on women. Nectar in a Sieve focuses on Rukmani and her family. Rukmani and her husband, Nathan, have a loving relationship built

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