Tradition vs. Modernity,Amy Kramer

England and India never did understand one another. (Prasad 37)
Undilute East had always been too much for the West; and soulful East always came lap-dog fashion to the West, mutually asking to be not too little and not too much, but just right. (Prasad 37)
The struggle of individuals caught between tradition and modernity, or between
India and the west, is a very common theme in Indian literature. This struggle is evident in Nectar in a Sieve, as Rukmani often finds herself battling between her traditional views and opinions, and the various modern forces that seem to be taking over her life.
On the one hand, Rukmani yearns for the traditional way of life she has always known and loved, while at certain times she acknowledges the benefits modernity can bring. In contrast, in The Painter of Signs, Daisy is the symbol of modernity as she does her best to fight against traditional ways of life; however, she is met with opposition by people who adhere to a more traditional lifestyle.
The conflict between tradition and modernity becomes a force in Rukmani’s life even when she is a young girl. Rukmani’s father is the headman of their village, which gives her family prestige. This prestige allows for Rukmani’s elder sisters to have grand weddings and marry fittingly. However, with the abolition of zamindari system, “the headman of the village was no longer of consequence” (Srivastava 9). Because of this,
Rukmani was without a dowry, and had to be married off below the family status, to a tenant farmer “who was poor in everything but in love and care for [Rukmani]”
(Markandaya 8).
After Rukmani has her first child, a daughter named Irawaddy, she does not conceive again for about seven years. This is tragic because in Indian culture it is very important to have many children, especially sons (Srivastava 14). During this time,
Rukmani’s mother takes her to a temple and together they pray before the deity
“imploring for help” to conceive sons (Markandaya 22). Rukmani’s mother also gives her a small stone lingam, the symbol of fertility, to wear for good luck. When this traditional approach to conceive does not seem to be working, Rukmani seeks the help of
Kenny, the Western missionary-doctor in her village. After Kenny gives her fertility treatment of some kind, Rukmani bears many sons. This becomes Rukmani’s first experience with the benefits that modernity can brin...

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... epics” (Narayan 26). Her “old cherished values begin to show cracks” when she find out Raman is going to “marry a casteless girl with a Christian name” (Sharan 284).
When an individual is faced with change, they have two choices: they can either embrace the change or struggle against it. Rukmani demonstrates that while she is a very traditional woman and struggles against the modern forces that are enveloping her traditional way of life, she is willing to accept that some of the changes modernity brings are beneficial. In contrast, Daisy is a character that embraces modernity with full force as she constantly battles against traditional ways of life, even if it means clashing with people who follow a more traditional way of Indian life.

Works Cited
Markandaya, Kamala. Nectar In A Sieve. New York: Signet Fiction, 1995.
Narayan, R.K. The Painter of Signs. London: Penguin Books, 1976.
Prasad, Madhusudan. Perspectives on Kamala Markandaya. India: Vimal, 1984.
Sharan, Nagendra Nath. A Critical Study of the Novels of R.K. Narayan. New Delhi:
Classical Publishing, 1993.
Srivastava, Ramesh K. The Novels of Kamala Markandaya: A Critical Study. Amritsar:
Guru Nanak Dev University, 1998.