How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Nathan said not a word. There was a crushed look about him which spoke of the deep hurt he had suffered more than any words could have done. He had always wanted to own his own land, through the years there had been the hope, growing fainter with each year, each child, that one day he would be able to call a small portion of land his own. Now even his sons knew it would never be. (9.37)
Suffering in this book is bigger than the small failures of crops and harvests. Nathan’s whole life is wrapped up in the land. When his sons cruelly point out that they won’t work on the land because the land will never be theirs, they aren’t just getting out of fieldwork. They’re crushing their father’s spirit. Suffering doesn’t only come from droughts and monsoons – sometimes it’s the people closest to you that can hurt you the most.
Quote #5
"Enough!" he shouted. "More than enough has been said. Our children must act as they choose to, not for our benefit. Is it not enough that they suffer?"
The veins on his forehead were bulging. I had never seen him so angry before. Kali went away. Then the men went too, father and sons, leaving me alone who had no understanding. (12.30)
In Nectar in a Sieve, father and sons suffer in different ways. Ruku doesn’t grasp any of it, perhaps because it is the quietly desperate suffering of men who cannot provide for their family. Because this burden does not belong to Ruku, she cannot understand this problem. Nathan likely feels impotent because he cannot provide for his family. Still, the desertion of his sons only adds to his suffering and his wounded pride. He must now go at it alone, and they have robbed him of both physical help and morale.
Quote #6
"That is why he and his kind are employed," Nathan said bitterly. "To protect overlords from such unpleasant tasks. Now the landlord can wring from us his moneys and care not for the misery he evokes, for indeed it would be difficult for any man to see another starve and his wife and children as well; or to enjoy the profits born of such travail." (13.23)
It seems that suffering only exists in the world because people who are not suffering can close their eyes to it. It would be hard to eat your dinner while watching one of those "Save the Children" commercials, but it is pretty easy to change the channel. Sivaji the Collector is essentially the means for the Zemindar to not have to see the suffering he causes others.