...English Honors Assignment English 2 • ISBN-13: 9780451531728 ISBN: 0451531728 The life of a simple peasant woman in a primitive village in India is told as her entire life becomes a gallant, persistent battle to care for those she loves. Through the eyes of Rukmani, a peasant woman from a small village in India, Nectar in a Sieve explores painful and disturbing aspects of poverty and a village's transformation from agriculture to industry. Rukmani's strong and loving marriage and her devotion to her children provide hope and dignity in the midst of such deplorable conditions. Additional insights into pain and suffering are presented in conversations between Rukmani and Kenny, a British doctor who lives in the village. A study guide will be provided. You will be required to complete portions of study guide activities and questions in addition to submitting an essay. This essay assignment is asking for your personal reflections based on the novel Nectar in a Sieve. You must cite a minimum of 3 outside sources to gain understanding of the story’s themes and historical context, as well as, to provide support for your ideas and positions. Essay Questions (answer one or two) 1. How does Ruku’s experience as a daughter, wife and mother inform her relationship with her daughter Ira? 2. How does the arrival of the tannery affect Ruku and the rest of the village? 3. Discuss the relationship between Ruku and Kunthi. What motivates Kunthi to behave...
Words: 327 - Pages: 2
...In the novel, Nectar in a Sieve, by Karmala Markandya, Ruku tells the story of her life. For most of Ruku’s married life, she is at the mercy of immediate survival needs since she has to react to forces that she cannot control. In the city, Ruku’s survival needs are met, so even when she faces the forces she can’t control, she has more options to choose from. The hut that Ruku lives in is made of weak material and monsoons often will cause several small patches that show wear. After a monsoon hits the village, Ruku would just patch up the house again with the same weak material that wore off. "It had stood up well to the sun and wind, but after the monsoon rains several small patches showed wear and it was well to get things done in good time. Nathan cut fronds from the coconut palm that grew by our hut and dried them for me, together we twisted the fibre and bound the palms, shaping them to the roof."(Markandaya 17) Monsoons bring much devastation to Ruku. Her house keeps on falling apart. Ruku does very little to improve the house and doesn’t plan to improve the condition of the house. Part of the reason for Ruku to do so is because she doesn’t know when the next monsoon is going to hit the village. After a huge monsoon hits the village, the rice that Ruku and Nathan were growing on their land were destroyed, which seriously limits the amount of food Ruku has, which forces her to think about how to best use the food in the long term. This limitation on food forces Ruku to...
Words: 1142 - Pages: 5
...Nectar in a Sieve 1) Describe how to title is appropriate for the novel. - Nectar in a Sieve is an appropriate title for the book. A sieve is a strainer used to filter materials and liquids. In America, we most commonly use sieves (strainers) for spaghetti. If you put nectar in a sieve, there isn’t much of a point due to the fact that all of the nectar will pass through unchanged. The title of this book is symbolic, with nectar representing goodness and kindness, and the sieve representing the world. When you put nectar (goodness) in a sieve (the world) it will only last a short time before disappearing without a trace. In other words, enjoy what you have while it lasts, do not try to save what is in the moment. 2) Why might the author have chosen to have Ruku tell her story in flashback form? Is Ruku a reliable narrator? - The author might have chosen to have Ruku tell her story in flashback form because this way, Ruku can foreshadow and add thoughts about the events. When a story is told in flashback form, it is easier to focus on the main events and conflicts of the story rather than the minute details. Thoughts and feelings Ruku had after the events in the story occurred can be added in, which helps the reader to understand the plot. The story makes more sense being told after the fact, and makes you think about how things have changed since then. I believe Ruku is a reliable narrator. She was involved in all of the events in the story firsthand. 3) How does...
Words: 1364 - Pages: 6
...Writing has been in existence for thousands of years. Older pieces of writing hold insight into the past and carry messages the writers wanted to immortalize and save for future generations. Older pieces of writing may seem outdated and obsolete because humans now live in a new era; however, human nature does not change meaning that the messages of any piece of writing are important and relevant. The struggle against fate has been a theme in literature and storytelling for millenniums, from the Greek myths with their tragic heroes to 1984 and Nectar in a Sieve. These pieces of writing that contain such timeless messages are worthy of being known as literature and include works such as 1984, Nectar in a Sieve, and the Bible. The efforts people...
Words: 1558 - Pages: 7
...In the short poem “The White Man’s Burden”, the author Rudyard Kipling describes how the British intervene into other countries for the sole purpose of increasing their own economy. In the poem, the British are shown to feel that it is their moral obligation “To seek another’s profit, And work another’s gain” (Kipling, 11. 15-16). This stanza shows the British taking advantage over the countries whom they are supposedly “helping”. Instead of assisting other countries, Britain takes control of the specific factories in each country that can increase Britain’s economy when its good are exported back to Britain. Similarly, in the novel Nectar in a Sieve, Markandaya shows how a British tannery in an Indian village made lots of money for the British back home. According to Rukmani, “It was a great sprawling growth, this tannery. It grew and flourished and spread” (Markandaya 47). The tannery greatly influenced the local Indians living there and it acted as a great way to make loads of money from the Indians. Soon, the British working in the tannery were able to get Indians to work at the factory and this allowed them to make high-profit margins as they were selling their products for high amounts while paying their Indian workers minimally. Both the poem and the novel show imperialists dominating other countries’ economy and taking over their jobs. “The White Man’s Burden” poem shows...
Words: 1487 - Pages: 6
...“The Beauty of Nature” The poems The Tyger by William Blake and Work without hope by Samuel Coleridge seems to relate to one another. The characters of these two poems lack appreciation of the beauty of nature that is around them; whether it is because of their constant questioning or emotional issues. These two characters seem to have something that holds them back from appreciating the true beauty in life. A close analysis of The Tyger and Work without hope allows us to examine human nature and lack of appreciation for the true beauty in life. In the poem The Tyger, Blake incorporates religion and creation. He is constantly questioning God, from the beginning of his poem all the way to the last line of his poem. “What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?” (p.498) this quote by far is the most significant line in this poem. He not only uses it in the first stanza, but he also ends his poem with this quote. A tiger is referred to as being evil. Readers of this poem should be aware that the word symmetry means the quality of being made up of similar parts. If the tiger is evil and is made up of similar parts of its creator, does that mean God is both evil and good? Blake leaves his readers to question whether or not God is truly pure. “And what shoulder, & what art, could twist the sinews of thy heart?” (p.499) Due to this quote, there is no doubt that Blake leaves his reader to ultimately question the establishment of a higher power. He cannot fathom how...
Words: 1278 - Pages: 6
...Plants General Characteristics: * Multicellular, primarily terrestrial eukaryotes with well developed tissues * Autotrophic by photosynthesis * Chlorophyl a and b , carotenoids etc. * Store starch in chloroplast * Cell wall – cellulose * Protect the embryo from drying out by providing it with water and nutrients within the female reproductive structure * Alternation of generation’s life cycle ( sporophyte and gametophyte phase) Main Division: 1. Non Vascular * Lack vascular tissues * No true roots, stems and leaves * Rootlike, stemlike, and leaflike structures * Usually small * Found in moist habitat * Example: hornwort, liverwort, mosses 2. Vascular * Seedless * Include the ferns * With vascular tissues * With true roots, stems and leaves * Seed * Gymnosperm (naked seed) and Angiosperm (enclosed seed) * With vascular tissue * With true roots, stems and leaves * Gymnosperms * Cone bearing plants * Conifers * Cycads * Ginkgo * Gnetophytes * Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) A. Dicot (class Magniliopsida) * More primitive than monocots * Embryo has two cotyledon * Floral part’s in 4’s or 5’s or multiples of 4’s or 5’s * Mostly woody, some herbaceous stems * Oval or palmate leaves with netlike venation * Taproot system A. Monocot (class Liliopsida) ...
Words: 1417 - Pages: 6
...MY BIOLOGY S.B.A Lab #1 Topic: Classification Aim: To classify organisms into groups Apparatus: Method: A list of 10 organisms in my school environment was made and observed. A table was constructed to show the organism and their visible characteristics. Another table was constructed to show the kingdom, phylum and class to which the organisms belong. Observation Organism | Visible Characteristics | Bird | They are vertebrates with a pair of wings. They also have a beak | Cat | They are vertebrates that have sharp claws, a smooth coat of hair (fur) and panted teeth | Earth Worm | Has a long, ring-like segmental body, lives in the soil, has a clitellum | Lizard | Has a scaly skin, 2 pairs of legs | Crab | Has a hard exo-skeleton, has claws, four pairs of jointed legs, seen in wet places | | | Plants | | Pine | Has stems, roots and leaves, produces seed that grow inside cones | Fern | Has roots, stems and leaves, has spores on the underside of the leaves, does not have flower | Hibiscus | Produces flowers, has root, stems and leaves | Leaf of Life | Does not produce flower, has roots, stems and leaves | Mahogany | Has roots, Stems and leaves | | Organism | Kingdom | Phylum | Class | 1 | Bird | Animalia | Chordata | Ares | 2 | Cat | Animalia | Chordata | Mammalia | 3 | Earthworm | Animalia | Chordata | | 4 | Lizard | Animalia | Chordata | Reptilia | 5 | Crab | Animalia | Chordata | Crustacea | Plants 1 | Pine | Plantae...
Words: 3284 - Pages: 14
...Approaching the Work Anthology How to compare the poems Meerkat Poetry Meerkat Poetry In section B of your AS exam, you will be asked to write one essay about the poems in the Work anthology. You will be given a choice of two questions. You can compare and contrast at least two poems of your choice, in response to a statement: OR You can compare one named poem and one other of your choice, in response to a statement: All the poems that you choose must come from the Work section of the anthology, which you have studied. How will my response be marked? Your response will be marked for three assessment objectives: AO1: 15 marks: AO2 – 5 marks: AO3 - 20 marks: TASK 1: Understanding how to compare Look carefully at the mark scheme for AO3. In addition to what is noted above, it always states: “In order to meet the AO3 requirement, effective comparison and contrast will need to be demonstrated.” Answer the following questions. 1. How are you asked to show similarities between the poems? 2. How are you asked to show differences? 3. What is meant by “literary” – what might you refer to in a literary response? Sample question with its indicative content from the mark scheme: For 5a: Compare all the way through, all your points should lead to exploring a similarity of a difference Compare all the way through, all your points should lead to exploring a similarity of a difference It’s OK to disagree with the statement in the question It’s OK to disagree with the statement in...
Words: 9003 - Pages: 37
...A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSIC EDITION OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH LINDA NEAL UNDERWOOD S E R I E S E D I T O R S : W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth 2 INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare developed many stories into excellent dramatizations for the Elizabethan stage. Shakespeare knew how to entertain and involve an audience with fast-paced plots, creative imagery, and multi-faceted characters. Macbeth is an action-packed, psychological thriller that has not lost its impact in nearly four hundred years. The politically ambitious character of Macbeth is as timely today as he was to Shakespeare's audience. Mary McCarthy says in her essay about Macbeth, "It is a troubling thought that Macbeth, of all Shakespeare's characters, should seem the most 'modern,' the only one you could transpose into contemporary battle dress or a sport shirt and slacks." (Signet Classic Macbeth) Audiences today quickly become interested in the plot of a blindly ambitious general with a strong-willed wife who must try to cope with the guilt engendered by their murder of an innocent king in order to further their power. The elements of superstition, ghosts, and witchcraft, though more readily a part of everyday life for the Renaissance audience, remain intriguing to modern teenagers. The action-packed...
Words: 8499 - Pages: 34
...All-Purpose Flour "Maida" in Urdu - is a finely ground white wheat flour containing a moderate amount of protein; used for a wide variety of general baking and cooking. Allspice "Garam Masala" in Urdu - is a combination of rich and bitter whole spices that are dry roasted and then powdered. Some garam masalas can have up to 33 ingredients but the most common are bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamoms and coriander seeds. Almond "Baadaam" in Urdu - An oval-shaped edible seed of the almond tree. Amaranth Leaves "Cholai" in Urdu - also known as "Chinese Spinach", are edible tender leaves and stems, rich in vitamins A and C, protein, folic acid, calcium and iron, and are considered as vegetable and are cooked like spinach. Aniseeds "Sounf" in Urdu - A liquorice-like seed that is used as a digestive. Similar to fennel seeds but not used as widely in cooking as in after dinner mints. Apricot "Khubaani" or "Jardalu" in Urdu - A yellow-orange fruit harvested from small trees. The fruit resembles a smaller version of a peach. It can be eaten whole with the pit removed, processed into juice or preserves. Apricots can be preserved through drying. Apricot "Khubaani" or "Jardalu" in Urdu - A yellow-orange fruit harvested from small trees. The fruit resembles a smaller version of a peach. It can be eaten whole with the pit removed, processed into juice or preserves. Apricots can be preserved through drying. Apple "Saib" in...
Words: 12822 - Pages: 52
...Commonly Misspelt Words A artillery artisan asbestos ascend ascetic asinine asparagus aspect aspersion aspic aspirate aspire assassin assemble assembly assertion assertive assess assessment asset assign assignee assignment assimilate assist assistance associate assure assured asterisk astrology astronomy asunder asylum athlete atmosphere atomic attack attainment attempt attendance attention attentive attitude attorney attract attractive attrition auctioneer audience audiovisual augment austerity authentic author authoritative authority authorise (or authorize) autobiography autograph autonomy autumn autumnal auxiliary available avalanche avenge average averse aversion avert avocado avoid avoidance awe awkward axis axle B baboon backward bacteria badge baggage balaclava balance ballad ballast ballet ballistic balloon ballot balm balsa banal banana bandage bandwidth bangle banish bankruptcy banquet barbaric barbarity barbecue barely bargain barnacle barograph barometer barrage barrel basin baton batten bauble beacon bearing beautiful beautifully because bedlam beetle beforehand beggar beginner beginning begrudge behaviour belfry belligerent benefit benign bequeath beret between bicycle biological bitumen blasphemy blatant blockage boundary bouquet braid breadth breathing brewery brief bristle bronchitis browse bruise budget buffalo buffet build bulge bullet bundle bureaucrat busily business businessman bypass by-product bystander C cactus cadet calamity calcify calcium...
Words: 4616 - Pages: 19
...G U I D E T E A C H E R’S A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE BY SOLOMON NORTHUP bY Jeanne M. McGlInn anD JaMes e. McGlInn 2 A Teacher’s Guide to Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup Table of Contents SYNOPSIS......................................................................................................................................3 ABOUT THE AUTHOR...............................................................................................................3 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY GUIDE............................................................................3 MEETING COMMON CORE STANDARDS.............................................................3 THE SLAVE NARRATIVE GENRE...............................................................................3 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW..........................................................................................................4 DURING READING.....................................................................................................................6 SYNTHESIZING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS.......................................................................9 ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES.......................................................................................................9 ACTIVITIES FOR USING THE FILM ADAPTATION........................................................ 11 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.....................................................................................
Words: 7281 - Pages: 30
...A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSIC EDITION OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO AND JULIET By ARTHEA J.S. REED, PH.D. S E R I E S W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., E D I T O R S : UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet 2 INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is an excellent introduction to Shakespearean drama; teenagers can relate to its plot, characters, and themes. The play’s action is easily understood, the character’s motives are clear, and many of the themes are as current today as they were in Shakespeare’s time. Therefore, it can be read on a variety of levels, allowing all students to enjoy it. Less able readers can experience the swash-buckling action and investigate the themes of parent-child conflict, sexuality, friendship, and suicide. Because of the play’s accessibility to teenagers, able readers can view the play from a more literary perspective, examining the themes of hostility ad its effect on the innocent, the use of deception and its consequences, and the effects of faulty decision making. They can study how the characters function within the drama and how Shakespeare uses language to develop plot, characters, and themes. The most able students can develop skills involved in literary criticism by delving into the play’s comic and tragic elements and its classically...
Words: 7462 - Pages: 30
...A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSIC EDITION OF GEORGE ORWELL’S ANIMAL FARM By HAZEL K. DAVIS, Federal Hocking High School, Stewart, OH S E R I E S W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., E D I T O R S : UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of George Orwell’s Animal Farm 2 INTRODUCTION Animal Farm is an excellent selection for junior and senior high students to study. Although on one level the novel is an allegory of the 1917 Russian Revolution, the story is just as applicable to the latest rebellion against dictators around the world. Young people should be able to recognize similarities between the animal leaders and politicians today. The novel also demonstrates how language can be used to control minds. Since teenagers are the target not only of the educational system itself but also of advertising, the music industry, etc., they should be interested in exploring how language can control thought and behavior. Animal Farm is short and contains few words that will hamper the reader’s understanding. The incidents in the novel allow for much interactive learning, providing opportunities for students to dramatize certain portions, to expand on speeches, and to work out alternative endings. The novel can be taught collaboratively with the history department as an allegory of the Russian Revolution, allowing students to draw parallels...
Words: 9582 - Pages: 39