1. NAME : ANTO H
DEP.NO : 17 PEN 801
COURSE : I MA English
COLLEGE : St.Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Trichy.
TITLE OF THE PAPER : Literature of the Marginalized.
Abstract
Marginalized literature means literature that deals with the marginalized class of the world.
Who are kept reject from public. So to explain about marginalized people’s life, I have taken the
character of Ruckmani from the novel Nectar in a Sieve. Which is written by Kamala
Markandaya. In this novel she is introduce as a farming lady, but she is marginalized by the
society which belong to her own society. And also she has same suppression by the another lady
called Kunthi.

2. Marginalized character of Ruckmani in the novel Nectar in a Sieve
In the novel Nectar in a Sieve the character called Ruckmani was marginalized by the society.
The full novel is portray about the sufferings of the lady Ruckmani. The lady Ruckmani belongs
to the rich family but after the marriage she got very poor. Because she was married to the
farmer man called Nathan. Instead of her poor state she give birth to seven children.
The first child of Ruckmani was Irawali. But she wants to have a boy child. So she undergoes
treatment to the doctor whose name was Kennington, He is the foreign doctor. After Irawali she
give birth to six male children. The tragic things in her life was the failure of the married life of
her daughter. Because her son – in – law get divorce from her daughter.
Due to lack of rain she suffer a lot. So she save some rice for her family purpose. But Kunthi a
cruel woman pluck some rice by doing blackmailing. In her village the tannary industry also
establish. So most of the youngsters go to that industry for their job. Then the youngsters in her
village start addict to the bad habbits. Now the five male children of Ruckmani start going to job
to earn more money. Irawali also become a prostitute.
Irawali give birth to a male child his name is Sacrabani. The main tragedy occurs in her life was
she lost two sons and two of her sons goes to Sri lanka for their earnings. One of her son goes to
town side for his earnings. Now the children with her is her one son and the one and only
daughter Irawali.

3. When the tannary industry gets extends the Ruckmani family shift to the town side. Only her son
and the daughter is remain in that village. The purpose of shifting to town side is to live with her
son. But her son made a contact with many girls and keep enjoy his life. She lost all her things in
the town side. In the end of the novel she lost her husband Nathan and she adapt the orphan boy
Puli and return to her native village.