In at least one hundred words, describe how Kamala Markandaya both draws upon and questions the cultural traditions of India in the early chapters of Nectar in a Sieve.
Answers
I think she questions the traditions in a couple ways. Firstly when her two eldest sisters are married off, they are given great gifts but when her and her last older sister are married, they are married into a lower social class and recieve little gifts. She also dipises that she came from a wealthy home and married a farmer and many of her relatives call it a disgrace. She questions the traditions when she has a girl first and then does not a have a second (as of chapter 3) so her husband Nathan does not have a son to take care of the land after him.
She does follows the traditions when she does not call her husband by name but only by "husband". This is expected of women no matter the class they are in. In the story she also is married off to man who she doesnt know which is customary to the Indian culture. Lastly, I'd say she does draws upon the way of life there when she helps deliver her neighbor's wife's child.