Relationship between Nathan and Rukmani and the theme of 'Nectar in a Sieve.'
‘Nectar in a Sieve’ is a novel authored by Kamala Markandaya. This novel revolves around the story of a husband and wife, Nathan and Rukmani. Nathan works as a tenant farmer whereas Rukmani is a housewife.
The relationship the couple holds is that of love, care, and understanding. Nathan is a loving husband and Rukmani is an obedient wife. However their thinking differs in terms of the meaning of happiness.
The themes present in the novel revolves around the couple. The theme of poverty is depicted through the everyday reality of the main characters. The theme of love is shown between the husband and wife, the family love, and the love for children by the parents. Power is another major theme which depicts how powerless Nathan and Rukami are at the hands of circumstances.