WorksheetsNectar in a Sieve, Chaps 24-30
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 9mins
What is NOT left behind in Rukmani and Nathan's preparation to leave for the city?
the land
their hut
their children and grandchild
the grindstone, pestle and mortar
10 rupees from Kenny
Whom is Rukmani and Nathan seeking in the city?
Kenny
Murugan
Arjun
Thambi
In the middle of the first night while sleeping, Rukmani feels a “soft fumbling about my face, noiseless, like fingers on spindle cotton” and later realizes that
she is covered in spiders
she has been robbed
Nathan has left her
the priest performed her Last Rites
Unlike in the village where Rukmani and Nathan previously lived, the city offers support to the citizens in all ways EXCEPT:
feeding them rice and dahl
providing a place to worship
supplying a place to sleep
providing security to ensure the safety of their belongings
Rukmani and Nathan struggle to find their son because...
there are multiple streets by the same name, Koil
he has died
their daughter-in-law refuses to see them
Nathan is able to walk the distance
Birla is all of these, EXCEPT:
a female doctor
kind to Rukmani and Nathan
related to Ammu
a friend of Kenny's
Puli is...
a street urchin who helps Rukmani and Nathan find their son
honest enough to keep Rukmani and Nathan's earnings safely hidden
soon "adopted" by Rukmani and Nathan, agreeing to return to the village with Rukmani
an orphan who is suffering from leprosy
all of the above
Ammu is...
abandoned by Murugan
not happy to see Rukmani and Nathan
earning money by cleaning and prostituting herself
a mother to one child of Murugan's
all the these
How does Rukmani earn money to afford the trip home?
she reads and writes letters for money
she carries explosives to the directors at the quarry
she prostitutes herself
she cooks the rice to be served at the temple
“I have no mother, poor or otherwise…There is no one to worry about me and none to worry me either, which is a good thing” is said by
Murugan
Sacrabani
Puli
Ammu
Rukmani finds the city a difficult place to adapt to, but learns to be resourceful by...
remembering to get a sack first at the quarry instead of waiting at the end of the shift
knowing to move quickly when the red flag appears
sharing her food with Nathan when he is too weak to get his own
convincing Puli to help her
all of the these
How do the people at the temple view Rukmani and Nathan when they return from Murugan's house?
they mock her and see her as a foreigner who is stealing food from them
they are saddened by Rukmani's story and share their food and money with her
they throw rocks at her and call her a liar
they tell her and Nathan to leave and find someplace else to sleep
How much money does Nathan say they need to earn in order to be able to afford the trip home?
100 rupees
10 annas
20 pice
10 rupees
How long do they stay in the city?
Over a year
For five years
Three years
Four months
What was NOT purchased with Rukmani and Nathan's earnings?
fried pancakes
a toy cart
a carter for their trip home
a burial ceremony for Nathan
What causes Rukmani and Nathan's earnings at the quarry to decline?
the monsoon makes the gathering of the rocks more difficult
Nathan is ill and less able to do the hard, laborious work
Puli refuses to work in the rain
all of these reduces their income
What are the last words Nathan speaks to Rukmani?
"You must not cry, dearest. What has to be, has to be."
"Would you hold me when my time is come? I am at peace. Do not grieve."
"...how shall I endure to live without you, who are my love and my life?"
"You are not alone. I live in my children."
"Ashes and dust, scattered to the winds, moistened by the rain, unrecognisable." These words suggest...
Nathan is cremated and "left" in the city
Rukmani's hopes are shattered and she finally gives up.
the temple has burned to the ground as Nathan lay dying
Rukmani has forgotten her sorrows and has moved on
Rukmani provides a "rich promise," the "priceless treasure of health, not mine to give" to convince Puli to return home with her. With what has she enticed him?
she convinces him that he can be a doctor like Kenny
she promises that her son and friend can heal his leprosy
she suggests that there is more food and riches in her village than there is in the city
she manipulates Puli to believe that he and Sacrabani will become blood brothers
The story is a flashback. Upon rereading the opening lines of the novel, what is revealed?
Nathan dies
Puli's stubs of fingers are healed
the hospital is finished
the family is happy
all of the above
