Kuti is Rukmani’s youngest son. Kuti is born just after Irawaddy’s marriage collapses, and his older sister cares for him as if he is her own child. However, when he is a toddler, famine strikes the village, threatening the entire family with starvation. Irawaddy works as a prostitute in order to buy milk for Kuti, who is the most vulnerable; despite her sacrifice, he dies of malnutrition.
Kuti Quotes in Nectar in a Sieve
The Nectar in a Sieve quotes below are all either spoken by Kuti or refer to Kuti. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Signet edition of Nectar in a Sieve published in 2010.
Chapter 11
Quotes
None more so than Ira: the transformation in her was as astonishing as it was inexplicable. I had feared she might dislike the child, but now it was as if he were her own. She lost her dreary air, her face became animated, the bloom of youth came back to her.
Chapter 17
Quotes
When Kuti was gone—with a bland indifference that mocked our loss—the abundant grain grew ripe.
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Kuti Character Timeline in Nectar in a Sieve
The timeline below shows where the character Kuti appears in Nectar in a Sieve. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 11
...her ability to do what she cannot. When the baby is born, Rukmani names him Kuti. Although she worried he would irritate Irawaddy, his presence affects a transformation in her; she...
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Chapter 14
...has stolen the rice. All the children look at her as if she is crazy. Kuti cries desperately.
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Kuti is most strongly affected by the famine. He has always been a sickly child, and...
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Chapter 16
...remain until the harvest. Rukmani knows that she and the older children will endure, but Kuti is in constant danger; he’s developed a large rash, and sores form when he scratches...
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Some days later, Rukmani notices that Kuti has taken a turn for the better. She fears that the small improvement is the...
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Rukmani returns to the hut, where Irawaddy and Kuti are lying. Irawaddy tells Rukmani to use the rupee in her sari and buy him...
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By working as a prostitute, Irawaddy buys milk for Kuti and rice for the family. Rukmani is grateful, but Nathan refuses to eat the food...
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Chapter 17
After Kuti’s death, the rice ripens “with a bland indifference that mocked our loss,” producing a better...
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Chapter 18
...for the help he provides but for his gentle presence. She confides that Raja and Kuti have died, then asks about his own family. Kenny roughly admits that his wife has...
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Chapter 23
...is not to blame for everything. The vagaries of the land led to starvation and Kuti’s death, and the landlord could take away the farm at any moment.
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