Imperialism has taken over and replaced many cultures and countries; this concept could be seen as both positive and negative impacts upon the affected nation. The idea is based on perspective between the imperialist and the imperialized people. The colonizer has the pretense that they help the nation prosper and grow, however this concept comes to be neglected and ignored as imperialism changes and replaces the native people’s way of life and culture. Imperialism essentially dominates over the developing nation which does not enhance the country itself. This course is a direct reflection upon Kamala Markandaya’s novel Nectar in a Sieve in which Rukmani and her family grow into various hardships and complications as the construction …show more content…
When the British introduce their modern technology to the Indian culture, it eventually, “became [Rukmani’s family’s] undoing”(Markandaya 131). With the tannery being the first modern advancement from the British, it puts Rukmani and her family through much stress as it increases poverty among her family and the rest of India. The success of the tannery “spread like weeds in an untended garden”(Markandaya 131). This is metaphoric of imperialism as Rukmani compares the modern technology the British bring as “weeds”, giving it a negative connotation. The tannery essentially swallows up the land of many including Rukmani’s family as it flourishes and prospers, forcing them to move away as their village continues to be modernized. Knowing that the British have modernized during the Industrial Revolution, they are able to bring many new products efficiently to the Indians. This pulls people towards the tannery as opposed to buying products from the village market, giving the British complete control of their land. The irony of how the British are motivated to “helping” the Indians modernize is crucial as it displays that the British end up controlling the India and its’ land, forcing them to grow cash crops instead of food crops. With the knowledge that India was located near the Red Sea, Britain became interested in using India for its potential, making it a huge market for …show more content…
The amount of rice Rukmani possesses symbolizes the progress of her family’s self-sufficiency. Before the construction of the tannery, Nathan has a good harvest in which Rukmani “had gunny sacks full of husked rice”(Markandaya 9). As the tannery flourishes, she loses rice and eventually “the granary [becomes] almost empty”(Markandaya 131). This is symbolic of what the British have done, for they have destroyed the Indians well-being and turns it into a land for their own benefit. The Indians are left with almost nothing and Rukmani’s family along with her village suffers through the result of this and hunger. Without their livelihood, Nathan demonstrates his insufficiency as he says, “cannot live by the land” and he has “no other knowledge or skill” to sustain himself with (Markandaya 133). After losing much of what they had left, they ultimately become helpless, resulting in the urgency to move away from their home. This is the effect of imperialism as it begins to displace the Indians with their own culture and people. Being under complete control of the British, the Indians become powerless and insufficient due to losing their livelihood. This is a direct reflection upon the development of famine in India as the British continue colonization. Imperialists essentially “spoil” the people with, “the brutal manner of [their] giving” instead of doing “the