Tannery
The tannery is, among many things, a symbol of modernity. It transforms the village environmentally and economically. It also transforms the relationships between the people within the village. Peo...
Water
Nathan and Rukmani name their firstborn child Irawaddy, "after one of the great rivers of Asia, as of all things water was most precious to us." (2.48) There is great emphasis on rice in the novel:...
Learning
Learning is another symbol of hope in Nectar in a Sieve. As is the case for so much in the novel, education is a double-edged sword. Ruku’s father decided to educate his children, even the gi...
Drums
Drums in Nectar in a Sieve symbolize times of great change. Our introduction to drumming occurs at Ira’s wedding (6.11): a drummer joins with a fiddler to make up a whole band. Then, as the m...