Social realism in the novels of Kamala Markandaya with special reference to Nectar in a Sieve, Possession and a Handful of Rice

Abstract

The term ‘Realism’ in art or literature refers to the presentation of things accurately in real life. Authors use their own style in presenting things that happen accurately in art and add moral values to their presentation. Many writers such as Bhabini Bhattachariya, R.K.Narayan and Ruth Prawar Jhabvala have presented realism in their fictions. Like Kamala Markandaya, the other writers had portrayed the different types of realism in their works. There are different types of realism in literature. They are classified as follows: Social realism and Cultural realism.These types of realism are well portrayed by Kamala Markandaya in her novels, especially in Nectar in a Sieve, Possession and a Handful of Rice. The common social element found in all these three novels is hunger. In her first novel, Nectar in a Sieve, Nathan the head of the family died due to starvation. He was unable to earn bread for himself as well as his family. Valmiki was also sent along with Lady Caroline because of his poverty. This has been clearly portrayed by the author in the words of Anusuya, the narrator of the story, in the novel Possession. Ravishankar, a learned man, becomes a smuggler in order to provide food and clothing for his family, but he fails in his attempt. These different types of realism are brilliantly described by the author. In Nectar in a Sieve, several incidents have been quoted from the lives of Rukmani and Nathan in order to show that they suffered a lot due to hunger and how the East –West conflict ruined their lives. Key words: East – West conflict, cultural interaction, exploitation of the weak, industrialization, resultant identity crisis.