The initial pages of “Nectar in a Sieve” feature Rukmani, the narrator, who is an elderly woman reflecting on her past. Despite her current state of peace, Rukmani acknowledges that her life hasn’t always been this way. She briefly mentions significant individuals in her life, including her deceased husband, son, daughter, Puli, and Kenny. Then, she proceeds to recount her life story in a flashback format. This novel follows a first-person narrative, with Rukmani reminiscing about the past events throughout most of its chapters.
The text’s opening statement by the narrator foreshadows upcoming events, which include the demise of her husband, her decision to adopt a sick dog called Puli, and her son Selvam and Kenny collaborating on building a hospital. Moreover, the narrator indicates that she has experienced many difficulties in life as she confidently states “no fears now.” This chapter offers an understanding of Indian customs and traditions, including the practice of accepting young brides who may have little knowledge about their future spouses.
The parents select the suitor and determine the dowry based on the suitor’s social standing. Ruku’s innocence is apparent as she assumes her father’s role as headman will result in an extravagant wedding. However, it becomes evident that Ruku was still a young girl when she entered into marriage, as she remembers feeling sick, scared, and bewildered.
In this chapter, we meet some village women who will become significant in Ruku’s future. Among them are Kali and Janaki, two older and more knowledgeable women, as well as Kunthi, who is the same age as Ruku. Ruku senses something distinct about Kunthi and feels uneasy around her, possibly hinting at future events. Towards the end of the chapter, Ruku discusses the abundance of food and hope, which may also foreshadow the issues with food and hope that arise later in the book.
America In The Antebellum Period
America in the Antebellum Period: A Nation Both United and Divided Scott Willis Dr. Register History 201 12/11/08 Historians mark the year 1789 as the end of the Revolutionary period in America. Liberty had triumphed, and Americans under the leadership of a bright and resolute few, had fashioned a republic capable governing itself. Modern Americans tend to view the early years of the Republic with a sense of sentimental nostalgia. America had become a nation– or had it?
On the surface, this may have been the case. Certainly the events of the Colonial period brought forth drastic and long-awaited change, however the historical developments of the 19th century were equally as revolutionary. Independence was an extraordinary feat, yet it was not until the 19th century that a distinct American identity emerged. America’s national identity was complex during the 1800’s; nationalism was a powerful force, but a sectional force nonetheless. 9th century America was, what historian Robert Wiebe called “a society of island communities”. [i] The remarkable transformations that characterized the 19th century both unified and divided the Republic in its early years. Political upheaval, economic transformation, technological advances and social and religious reform led to both desired and unexpected changes. There was no single unifying force that brought the nation together. Instead, there existed a number of beliefs and movements that all Americans supported to some degree.
Before addressing the factors most significant in uniting and dividing America in the antebellum period, it is important to understand the turbulent environment that characterized the beginning of the 19th century. The stage was set for significant upheaval in 1800, with the election of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson imagined a nation built on the genius of the American workingman. [ii] He supported the formation of an agrarian nation opposed to an industrialized one, hoping to spread agricultural institutions across the seemingly infinite frontier. The laboring man had become America’s hero, especially in the North.
As stated by Jefferson “those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God. ” This ideology fueled the expansion of the country, both from an economic and territorial perspective. [iii] The Jeffersonian admiration of labor corresponded with the rise of a unifying nationalism. America’s victory in the War of 1812 had opened up a tremendous amount of land for expansion. The British relinquished their hold on the Oregon territories, and the Indian tribes of the Northwest and the South were defeated and dispossessed. Americans were free to expand beyond their original boundaries.
The construction of canals, national roads and railroads facilitated the movement of people and the exchange of goods. In the North, a new market society boomed, enhanced by this transportation revolution. The South also benefitted, strengthened by internal improvements, and technological advances such as Eli Whitney’s cotton gin. Agriculture flourished, especially in the South, where a slave-based labor system found new opportunities for expansion into Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and territories further west. America in the early 19th century was growing at an astounding pace.
With this development came the emergence of the two very different societies: a market society in the North and a slave society in the South. The different ideologies of labor in North and the South would prove to be the most divisive issue of the 19th century. The North and the South became increasingly opposed, due to fundamental differences in labor ideology and hierarchies of racial division. The sectional opposition between the two regions created a divide that not only could not be bridged, but also grew increasingly apart as these differences became institutionalized.
Differing labor ideologies emerged simultaneously. In the South, labor remained contemptible as men aspired to own slaves. [iv] In the North, slavery was contemptible as the 19th century notion of manhood emphasized relying on oneself, not the labor of others. [v] The South “thoroughly identified” itself “with the institution of slavery”, and for good reason. [vi] The British relied heavily on U. S cotton production, and this dependency fueled the Southern economy. [vii] Eli Whitney’s cotton gin had facilitated the growth of short-staple cotton, a strand that only thrived in hot climates. viii] The Deep South provided the perfect environment for cotton cultivation. As a result, the westward expansion of the entire country coincided with the expansion of slavery. In 1860 the United States exported 4 million bales of cotton per year, yielding a profit of more than a 100%. [ix] The South perceived itself as vital to sustaining the financial strength of the entire country, and the economic security of the entire world. Because slavery was such a lucrative system, Southerners vigorously defended the institution with a distinct hierarchy of racial difference.
For Southerners, slavery was a natural and moral human condition. Slave owners justified the institution by asserting a paternalistic responsibility to provide for their slaves, ensuring stability and a sort of fictionalized happiness. Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy expressed the Southern hierarchy of racial difference best: “the great truth [is] that Negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery—subordination to the superior race—is his natural and normal condition”. x] The North, prompted by incendiary events like the Fugitive Slave Act and the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, found increased fault with the institution of slavery. By 1860, Northerners viewed the tyrannical “Slaveocracy” of the South as “a great moral, social and political evil”. [xi] The racial hierarchy of the South created an anti-democratic society in fundamental opposition to the North. Not only did the institution strip the slaves of their humanity, but it also degraded the labor of white working men. xii] There was a little opportunity to rise, and thus little incentive for low class white men to compete with slave labor. In contrast, social mobility was the defining aspect of labor ideology in the North. The forces of the Market Revolution had transformed the pre-industrial rural economy. Gone were the days of the semi-market economy centered on tightly bound networks of family relationships. The workplace had shifted outside the home and into the consumer marketplace, where the mass production of cheap manufactured goods penetrated rural and urban arkets on an extraordinary scale. [xiii] The idea of the “self-made man” was tied to the concept of labor in the North. “Self-achieving manhood”, embodied by peddlers like James Guild, helped to validate a culture of “ambition and entrepreneurial striving” different from the South. [xiv] Northern labor ideology was a masculine alternative to the bonds of dependency that characterized the labor of women and slaves. [xv] Despite the sectional disputes in racial hierarchy and labor ideology, there existed certain widespread beliefs and behaviors that drastically impacted both societies.
Business expansion was the most powerful unifying force. Technological advances and internal improvements created a society in both the North and the South “dominated by profit-maximizing businessmen”. [xvi] The most successful men in both societies embraced the 19th century ideals of ambition and self-interest, but they did so in distinctly different ways. In the North, “the accident of one’s birth” was not an insurmountable or necessarily determinative factor in generating wealth. [xvii] In the South, an equally ambitious class of planter elite and semi-subsidence farmers controlled the region’s wealth.
White laborers, in contrast, had little opportunity to improve their status in a society far more stratified than the free labor North. The spiritual fervor of the Second Great Awakening was another movement experienced across the country. Evangelical religion was an entrepreneurial religion, one that “prompted a competitive religious marketplace in the United States”. [xviii] The expansion of business in American society paralleled the growth of evangelical religion. The print revolution and transportation revolution also helped make the Second Great Awakening a national movement.
It is important to note that evangelical religion was a sectarian revolution: its forms and consequences varied in different societies. The Second Great Awakening was not so much a unifying force, but certainly was a pervasive force, impacting men and women throughout the country, regardless of race or location. Tied to the 19th century expansion of religion and business was the American myth of “Manifest Destiny”. Every American, regardless of the sectional divide, recognized “the certainty that the nation’s unique identity and it’s God-appointed estiny were wrapped up in the fate of the American wilderness”. [xix] For Southerners, this “God-appointed destiny” involved the expansion of slavery. For Northerners, it involved “an expansion of freedom in the fertile, uncorrupted soil of the New World”. [xx] This central ideological difference between the North and the South prohibited America from forging a single national identity in the 19th century. Instead, two sectional identities were forged, drawing on a few widespread beliefs amid an abundance of disagreement. ———————– [i] Robert Wiebe, The Search for Order, Lecture, Dec. 0, 2008 [ii] Lecture, Oct. 20, 2008 [iii] Thomas Jefferson, “Notes on the Sate of Virginia”, from Crosscurrents in American History: A Reader in United States History, vol. 1 (Boston, 2008), 148. [iv] Lecture, Oct. 22, 2008. [v] Lecture, Oct. 22, 2008. [vi] “A Declaration of the Immediate Causes which induce and Justify the Secession of the State of Mississippi from the Federal Union”, The State of Mississippi (January 1861). [vii] “A Declaration of the Immediate Causes which induce and Justify the Secession of the State of Mississippi from the Federal Union”. viii] Lecture, Oct. 27, 2008. [ix] Lecture, Oct. 27, 2008. [x] Alexander H. Stephens, “Corner-stone” speech, March 21, 1861. [xi] Abraham Lincoln, Speech in New Haven, Connecticut, 1860. [xii] Lecture, Dec. 10, 2008. [xiii] Bruce Dorsey and Woody Register, Crosscurrents in American History: A Reader in United States History, vol. 1 (Boston, 2008), 233. [xiv] Dorsey and Register, 143. [xv] Dorsey and Register, 143. [xvi] From History 201, Test Number 2. [xvii] Lecture, Oct. 22, 2008. [xviii] Dorsey and Register, 202. [xix] Dorsey and Register, 233. [xx] Dorsey and Register, 232.
Doctor-Patient Relationship In Poems And Stories Short Summary
The doctor-patient relationship is essential in medical practice and plays a crucial role in delivering effective healthcare for disease diagnosis and treatment. Patients must have trust in their doctor’s expertise and feel at ease sharing their concerns. The narratives depict this bond as patients consistently seek out Doctor Williams, who provides care regardless of payment. Doctor Williams’ facial expressions appear to be influenced by the types of patients he interacts with.
In the story “Jean Beicke”, the doctor-patient relationship is focused on her individually, helping her overcome her sickness and gain weight. This fosters trust and a positive response from the child. However, in “A Night in June”, Williams Carlos Williams both admires Angelina and compares her to a cow, but consistently acts in a morally upright manner despite the emotional toll it may take.
Doctor Williams finds inspiration in his patients, and they are equally dependent on him. They serve as the motivation behind his proficiency as a doctor. Regardless of their financial status, he sincerely cares for and respects them, always ready to provide assistance. His patients love and trust him because of his exceptional compassion. Although initially hesitant about treating those who cannot pay, he changes his mind after learning about their circumstances and offers them the necessary help.
In the story “A Face of a Stone”, the husband requests the doctor to examine his wife, causing the doctor to become slightly angry but ultimately comply. During the examination, the doctor discovers that the wife’s legs are severely bowed. The wife then shares details about her past, explaining the cause of her condition. Upon hearing about her suffering, the doctor develops empathy and realizes the previously annoying determination she exhibited. The woman responds kindly to him, leading to a positive transformation in their doctor-patient relationship.
The patients not only trust him, but he is also their close friend and advisor. In the poem “The Poor,” the School Physician brings their hatred down on the doctor by constantly tormenting them with reminders of the lice in their children’s hair. However, through this familiarity, they become used to him and ultimately consider him their friend and advisor. Several important issues about doctoring are discussed in the story “The Use of Force.” These include the challenge of quickly assessing a medical/social situation in an unfamiliar and hostile environment, the doctor’s impressive powers of observation, his dedication to making the right medical decisions, anxiety experienced by sick child’s parents, power wielded by the doctor, potential dark side of human nature leading to unsavory uses of such power, and struggles faced by William Carlos Williams in his stories.
Despite facing criticism of his wife and colleagues, the protagonist contended with the absence of compensation for his efforts in the story “The Girl with a Pimply Face,” where he provided essential care for a baby’s stabilized heart. His spouse and colleagues doubted the legitimacy of the baby’s family, labeling them as fraudulent and asserting that he would never receive payment. In the narrative “Old Doc Rivers,” the protagonist is depicted as an experienced physician who leans towards expeditious decisions and prompt actions. Although known for struggling with alcohol and drugs, the local community perceived him as authoritative, often seeking his aid when all other options proved fruitless.
Williams observed that Rivers, despite being drugged, poses a threat to his patients. However, Williams also admires Rivers’ medical abilities to some degree and the reassurance he instills in his patients. This story showcases the influence of a physician who lacks proficiency and updated knowledge in the patient-doctor dynamic. Nevertheless, his charismatic power often proves effective in promoting healing. Helplessly, Williams witnessed his colleague’s demise due to drug addiction. The poem “The Birth” captures the ordinary experiences of a doctor involved in delivering babies.
This poem illustrates the laborious process of a forty-year-old woman named Para delivering a baby. It emphasizes the duration and pain of the contractions experienced by the woman. Finally, the baby, named Madonna, weighing thirteen and a half pounds, begins to move towards the birth canal. The doctor’s impatience with the delivery process exhausts him. In addition, the poem touches upon the doctor’s struggle to find balance between his profession as a doctor and his passion as a writer/poet. According to William, he claims that practising medicine is not burdensome for him. He believes that it nourishes the body while writing, despite occasional complaints, fulfills him. Although he desires more time for writing, he would never forget the healing and inspiring moments of being a doctor as it runs in his blood and holds a special place in his heart. He values assisting and relieving people’s pain, even though his patients often cause frustration and he is not always compensated for his efforts. In short, William Carlos wouldn’t choose any other path despite these challenges. These are the themes and struggles portrayed in the stories.