Nectar in a Sieve Kamala Markandaya A Presentation for Georgia Academic Decathlon Dr. Laura Davis Kennesaw State University

Kamala Markandaya

Biographical Information  Kamala Markandaya is the pseudonym for Kamala Purnaiya Taylor.  Markandaya was born into a Hindu family of Brahmin caste, which is the highest caste.  She obtained a History degree from Madras University.  In the 1940s: Worked as a Journalist and Social Worker.

Biography (continued)  1948: Left India to marry her husband, who was English.  Lived in London for the rest of her life; visited India frequently.  Had one daughter.  Published 10 books in her lifetime; Nectar was the 3 rd written, but the 1 st published.

Brief Synopsis of Nectar  Tells the story of a peasant girl in India (Rukmani) who enters into an arranged marriage at age 12  With her husband, Nathan, and later their children, she experiences poverty and societal upheaval  The novel is told in the first person from her perspective as an elderly woman looking back on her life experiences

Two Possible Lenses for Markandaya’s Work We Will Discuss Today: (There are others…)  As Postcolonial or Diasporic Literature  As Feminist and/or Ecofeminist Literature

Um…What Do Words Like “Postcolonialism” and “Diasporic” Mean Anyway?

A Little Colonial History…   The Colonial Period refers to the European colonial era, which lasted from around the 16 th century to the mid 20 th century.   Various European countries conquered and colonized other countries (primarily in Africa, Asia, & the Americas) for the purpose of political power and economic gain.

What About in India?  Many countries sought to colonize India: the Dutch, the British, the Danes, the French. British East India Company forms in  By the middle of the 19 th Century, the British had gained control of almost all of India, which became known as “the jewel of the British Crown” for its rich resources.  There was either a strong British presence or outright British rule in India for almost 350 years.

…and then what happened?!  The people of India and various Indian leaders begin calling for independence and self-rule.  In 1945, the British gov’t instructs India to begin to prepare for self governance.  1947, the British release a plan for independence and partition of India into India and Pakistan. Immediate bloodshed breaks out.

How Does This Relate to Markandaya?  Postcolonial Literature refers to texts written by authors whose heritage or experiences are imbedded in previously colonized countries.  They often write about the clash of cultures (between colonists and native cultures).  They often explore DIASPORA (from the Greek for “scattering”), displacement, and migration.  Thus, Markandaya is considered a postcolonial or diasporic writer. Her other texts often explore these themes.  You should know that she is part of this literary genre.

Markandaya’s Work

Is Nectar a PoCo Novel? Yes!  Written by an author who lived through the colonial period & independence & who experienced diasporic migration herself.  The novel is set in the 1940s, shortly after independence and partition, so the era is right.  The family in the novel experiences economic upheaval and diasporic migration. Hmmm…  The characters never mention British rule or independence; which is the focus for most poco Indian novels of this time period.  There is a mixture of British and Indian culture via the one white character (ostensibly British), but he is portrayed as neither an enemy nor a power to fight against.

Can the subaltern speak? --gayatri spivak What do we make of an Indian writer who typically writes about postcolonial themes but who chooses to set a novel in the 1940s in India and never mentions colonial rule or Independence even though those were explosive historic events occurring in India at that time?

Possible Answers?  This pushes back at the idea that colonial encounters were the only thing important to Indian people (de-centers the colonizer as the main actor on stage).  She’s trying to give “the subaltern” a voice and show that even large historical events leave the most impoverished still poor, starving, and unaware.  She’s making this a universal tale of human experience; we live our lives in our own stories, sometimes not even thinking about larger events.

Hey! But Wait. Didn’t Ya Say There Was a Second Lens for Reading this Book? (Yup! I DID! Good on you for remembering that!)

Lens 2: A Feminist Analysis  In addition to being known as a postcolonial writer, Nectar established Markandaya as a feminist writer.  The novel continually addresses issues that affect women in particular.  Additionally, the text gives voice to a strong female character who has the power to narrate her own story, both literally and figuratively.

But before we go any further, let’s unpack that F Word a little….

Feminism: What it is: Merriam-Webster Definitions:  a Feminist is someone who believes in the political, social, and economic equality of the sexes.  the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes  the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities What it isn’t:  A movement to make women better than men or put women on top of men.  Changing the ORDER of a power hierarchy still leaves the power hierarchy in place.  Feminist theory seeks instead to posit a world where gender or sex are not the basis for discrimination against anyone, male or female. (i.e. Dismantle the whole hierarchy vs. just flip it)

As you read, think about why critics see this as a book about women’s issues and/or as a feminist text. Also, how are the male characters also affected negatively by gender rules in the novel?

And there’s one more thing, too!

Extending Lens #2: Nectar as an Ecofeminist Text  Ecofeminism draws together the fields of feminism and ecology.  Ecofeminists ask how mistreatment of people based on sex discrimination is often linked with mistreatment of the earth & vice versa.  Multiple critics position Nectar as an Ecofeminist text (for good reason).

There is a rich history of Ecofeminist work in India

Mahasweta Devi

As you read, think about how issues of equality, poverty, & literally life and death are tied to nature and who has access to land and natural resources and who doesn’t (this is a very ecofeminist question!)

Also, compare Markandaya’s depiction of the city life with life in the rural environment. What is she saying about life connected to the land versus life lived in the city? When the factory invades Rukmani’s town, how is the demise of nature and the demise of the people’s economic security linked? (these are also ecofeminist questions!)

Finally, think about the title…  From an ecofeminist perspective, it is highly significant that the title of Nectar in a Sieve is taken from a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  Coleridge wrote about the connection of humans with the environment.  The poem is Work Without Hope. It compares the way plants and animals in nature strive with hope because they produce things in a harmonious natural system compared to the way humans can lose hope when the work they do is considered of no value and does not ensure them of a future. How does this remind you of Rukmani and her family?

Let’s Wrap Up! Conclusions/Ideas to Remember:  Nectar in a Sieve was a widely-read novel, translated into more than a dozen languages.  It is notable for exposing Western audiences to the realities of life in rural India.  Its author, Markandaya, belongs to a group of writers known as postcolonial writers. Postcolonial writers discuss the lasting effects of colonialism on formerly colonized people.

Wrap Up (continued)  This is an unusual text from a postcolonial writer because the colonial encounter is not situated as the major focus of the text.  Instead, Markandaya seeks to portray how many rural communities in India were so impoverished that they could only focus on bare survival versus these larger national & global events occurring outside their knowledge.  Nectar is also considered a feminist text because it has a strong female narrator and consistently discusses issues that affect women in India. It also explores how men, too, were often limited by strict gender roles and norms.

Wrap Up (Continued)  Nectar can also be read as an Ecofeminist text because it explores how colonialism and capitalism destroy the natural environment that the peasants depend on to live, which puts those on the lowest rungs of society (often women and girls) in an even more precarious situation.  Additionally, it explores how people who farm land they do not own are often at the mercy of both nature and humans with more economic power, which once again affects those at the bottom of the ladder, often women, girls, children, the elderly.