3. Different Culture

As "Nectar In A Sieve" is written by an Indian woman and shows much of the Indian culture throughout the book, and because we are reading it in class, this is the perfect time to talk about the culture differences. For one, here, we usually don't pay dowry. One problem that arises during the story is the ability to afford a suitable dowry for the soon-to-be husband of the daughter. Another cultural difference is the fact that pretty much the one reason for having a wife, is to make children. This is shown when Ira is "returned" to her family. The only reason that she is is because she is infertile, and her family understands this. In my opinion, in America, people marry mostly for love. In India, the order is: get married, have kids, and THEN fall in love. Here, it is usually: fall in love, get married and THEN have kids. One other difference is that, in India, there was someone who chose who you were married to. In the end, there are ALOT of cultural differences between India and the United States.