A change in attitude can change your life. In the book Nectar in a Sieve, the author, Kamala Markandaya, describes a family's struggle to survive despite the endless changes happening in their lives. The story takes place in a small Indian village in the late 1940s. At this time in history, Britain took over India. The main character of the story, Rukmani, experiences a change in his youth and at that time accepts change as inevitable. Later, Rukmani experiences change differently. Rukmani realizes that change happens more quickly over time, but refuses to accept that she has no control. To begin with, as a young girl, Rukmani is never bothered or upset by change. She views change as something that happens at a snail's pace. “A change I had known before, and it had been gradual” (Markandaya 25). Rukmani says the change happened so rarely and over such a long period of time that it was difficult to be aware of it. Rukmani's attitude as a young person is one of full acceptance of the inevitable, ignoring its power to change his future. The first major change in her life was the death of her parents, something she could not control. Rukmani considers all change to be predetermined and therefore adopts a very passive attitude towards it. Little does she know that she will one day understand that while change can be tolerated, some circumstances are within her control. Very quickly, Rukmani refuses to accept any change as inevitable. Today, as a mature young woman, she knows that the effects of certain changes in her life depend greatly on her response to these changes. The British build a tannery in the small village at this time in the novel. Rukmani is in the middle of a paper......a life away from her family, so instead she takes matters into her own hands and finds a way to earn money so she can eat and return to her small village . Change becomes a constant in Rukmani's life and she welcomes it with authority. In summary, Rukmani learns early in her adult life that she has the power to control certain circumstances and the outcome of any changes that come her way. She lets go of the attitude of total acceptance, learns to tolerate change, and takes steps to ensure that her future includes what she desires. The overall theme of this story is that knowledge is power. Rukmani is a perfect example of the novel's message because it is through her learning about action and control that she has power over change. Rukmani's change in attitude changes his life. Works Cited Markandaya, Kamala. Nectar in a sieve. New York, New York, United States: Signet Classics, 1954