Nectar in a Sieve Chapter Summary & Analysis - Part 1, Chapter 4 Summary

Part 1, Chapter 4 Summary

One day the peace of the small village is disrupted when Arjun arrives home with word that hundreds of men have arrived and set up camp. These men plan to build a tannery. They are Indian but speak a different dialect from Nathan's family, so it is clear that these men have come a long distance. At this same time, Nathan decides that Ira must now be covered by a sari because at her age it is indecent for her not to wear a sari, especially with all the strange men in the village.

The villagers are not pleased at the disruption at first but then realize that the produce can be sold to the workers at higher prices than they normally obtain. Unfortunately the prices of the items that the villagers normally buy are also higher, which creates hardships for the families. Rukmani is pleased when the workers leave,...
(read more)