Nectar in a Sieve

“A large building, spruce and white; not only money has built it but men’s hopes and pity, as I know who have seen it grow brick by brick and year by year.”

Rukmani talks about the hospital that will not appear until later in Part 1. However, her description alludes to The Impacts of Modernization on Rural Life. Though she sees physical progress, she recognizes the cost to the villagers that came from the building’s construction and portrays its expensive appearance as a negative.

“How well I recall it; how grateful I am that not all the clamour which invaded our lives later could subdue the memory or still the longing for it.”

Rukmani reflects on the moments of peace and quiet when she first moved in with Nathan; she does so to establish an initial position for rural life. This lays a foundation for multiple themes, including The Effects of Modernization on Rural Life and The Clash Between Tradition and Progress. She sees her early traditional life as nostalgic and preferable to the modern world.

“There have been many sowings and harvesting, but the wonder has not departed.”

Rukmani remains enamored by the crops her family farms—the plants that grow and how she can use those plants to provide for her family. She contrasts with Nathan, who loses his sense of wonder and only sees the plants as the work that goes into them rather than their benefits for himself and his family. This reinforces her positive relationship with the traditional life, which she loses when she is forced off the farm.