Nectar in a Sieve

Nathan is Rukmani’s husband and the novel’s lead supporting character. He appears in most chapters and foils Rukmani’s portrayal of Poverty and Survival in a Changing World. Where Rukmani focuses on the practical necessities of surviving in the moment, Nathan always keeps an eye on the future. To him, becoming a landowner is a matter of when, not if. He never doubts that he and his family will survive. No matter the hardships they face—rain damaging their crops or a lack of rice to eat—he keeps a positive attitude and regularly reassures Rukmani that their dreams can still become reality. Unlike Rukmani, Nathan has never known privilege, and this shapes how he views the world. He built their home from the ground up and takes pride in the hard work he puts in to accomplish his goals.

As a character archetype, Nathan is the novel’s Everyman. He has no special abilities, and he shares his distinguishing characteristics with Rukmani (concerning caring for their family and tending the land). Markandaya writes Nathan to reflect the realities of working-class individuals who hope that their efforts will culminate into socioeconomic stability. Nathan remains hopeful until the end when he dies due to poverty and exploitation. Without Nathan, Rukmani’s hope likewise withers, hinting that India’s modernization under the British Raj does not offer much for most Indians.

Selvam is Rukmani’s son who chooses to change his career path and become a doctor rather than a farmer. As a character, he reflects The Clash Between Tradition and Progress. As part of the newer generation, Selvam sees the benefits of modernization. He chooses to forgo tradition and seeks a different career than his father's. In some ways, this is purely positive: He never questions whether his nephew, Sacrabani, belongs with their family, and he expresses no concern about the child’s skin color, unlike other family and community members. Though he makes difficult choices, he keeps his family’s best interests in mind and wants to help his family and the community in any way he can. At other times, his faith in progress is naïve, embodied by Kenny’s inability to compensate him for his medical work.

Selvam fits two distinct archetypes. First, he is a Caregiver. He allows Rukmani to live with him at the novel’s end without hesitation; he never treats Sacrabani as lesser; he supports Ira of his own volition. He chooses to become a doctor because he cannot stand to see the illnesses people endure without being able to help them. He goes out of his way to care for everyone. However, Selvam challenges the traditional Caregiver archetype because he demonstrates ambition. Pursuing a medical career, he works to rise to a caste above his family’s. He does not accept the limitations of the traditional lifestyle his parents lead. 

His ability to use his insight to explore new ideas also adheres to the Sage archetype. When others act on instinct and impulse, he chooses a more thoughtful perspective. He hesitates to get involved when tensions rise, but when he does (such as when Kali speaks ill of Sacrabani at the naming ceremony), he picks the moments where his words and actions will have the most impact. While this can make him appear weak to others, his choices to get involved almost always revolve around his role as a Caregiver and wanting to care for his family—particularly Ira and Sacrabani.

Kenny is a doctor who frequently appears in the village throughout the novel. Markandaya directly characterizes his white skin, marking him as different from other community members. He tries to act as Rukmani’s mentor to teach her the benefits of modernization, but their ideologies contrast, making him an ideological foil to her character.

Markandaya uses Kenny to portray the theme of The Clash Between Tradition and Progress. Kenny’s appearances coincide with moments when the village must choose whether to retain tradition or modernize. His primary criticism of the village’s inhabitants is that they refuse to ask for help. Rather than welcome outside assistance, they hold to their traditions. He does not understand their actions, asking, “Why do you keep this ghastly silence? Why do you not demand—cry out for help—do something? There is nothing in this country” (43). As a doctor, Kenny sees the benefits of progress because he understands how medicine improves with modern discoveries. He cannot understand why India’s people do not want to see the same advances and receive their benefits.

Though Kenny appears to be a Caregiver character archetype—he strives to heal and help people and wants to improve others’ lives—he often acts as a white savior character. This is a trope wherein a white person saves people of color, sometimes from their own culture, excusing the savior from accusations of racial power. Kenny’s intentions are good, but he believes it is his job as the more “civilized” person to offer assistance in modernizing the village where possible. When people like Rukmani resist his insistence that they need help, he becomes frustrated and leaves for an undetermined amount of time. The audience sees the village survive and continue as usual; however, Markandaya provides Kenny with the notion that they struggle when he is not there to help them, solidifying his savior complex. Through him, Markandaya opens a conversation about racial dynamics, how to help people, and when it is appropriate to do so.