The Portrayal of Social Evils in Kamala Markandaya’s Nectar in a Sieve
A. V. Ramesh Babu *
KORM College of Engineering, Kadapa, India.
S. Sreeramulu
VRS Degree and PG College, V N Pally, Andhra Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Hunger and starvation is the theme of many an Indo-Anglian novel, particularly post-Independence novel. Kamala Markandaya in brief have tried to draw a lively picture of the modern Indian society. The theme of social injustice is highlighted in the novels, A Handful of Rice and Nectar in a Sieve. These two novels portray the social evils and it deals with the realities of society. In A Handful of Rice, Kamala Markandaya realistically portrayed the clash between the poverty- stricken poor and the sophisticated, cultured Industrialist and capitalist and also other problems like population- inflation, rising prices, moral degradation and inner disillusionment. In Nectar in a Sieve, Kamala Markandaya presents that in the face of mechanization and industrialization of the villages, hardships and sufferings are the lot not only of the poor peasants but also of manual laborer in urban areas. Kamala Markandaya has depicted social problems which are closely related to human life and with moving realism she depicted the tragic plight of Indian society. This study proposes the theory of ‘Realism’ and presents a careful description of everyday life often concerning itself with the lives of so called middle or lower class.
Keywords: Poverty, hunger and starvation, social realism, East-West conflict