Rukmani Internal Conflict

An internal conflict that could be found in the first section is with the protagonist Rukmani. For seven years, she has only bore a single child which is a daughter. Nathan and Rukmani is concerned because they want a son who would eventually bring wealth from dowries to the family when he gets married. Rukmani comes in contact with a white doctor named Kennington, otherwise called Kenny, who gives her medications for infertility. With his help she bears a son named Arjun and four more sons after many years. Rukmani, however, keeps the fact she got treatment a secret to Nathan. On page 26 she says “...I had not wished my husband to know that I was putting myself in the hands of a foreigner, for I knew not what his reaction would be, I had
consoled myself that it would be time enough to tell him if a child was born; and now I found I could not do it, because he would surely ask why I had not tole him before...What harm, I thought, if he does not know; I have not lied to him, there has just been this silence.” Later when Kenny visits Rukmani’s house in a long time he states how Nathan has begotten five healthy sons from her. Then she thinks to herself “My heart qualied at his words for fear he should betray me, yet no betrayal, since how could he guess my husband did not know I had gone to him for treatment? Why had I, stupidest of women, not told him?”(37). These quotes display her inner conflict of whether telling the truth to her husband or keep hiding it. One possible resolution to this conflict would be being honest and telling the truth. If this is done, her husband may be disappointed in her for keeping a secret for years. Another possible resolution is Rukmani to make up her mind to never tell him. If this is done, she doesn’t have to worry about it for awhile, but she may remain guilty and uncomfortable. An external conflict found in the section is the construction of the new tannery by the townspeople.
One day, Arjun, Rukmani’s oldest son, comes home running and informing everyone that hundreds of men are “pulling down houses around the maiden and there is a long line of bullock carts carrying bricks” (29). They create a huge stir in the rural village. Though they are loud the traders are able to sell their products to the workmen at a very good price and earn a lot of money. After the construction is over and the building is completed, the workers depart and bring the silence back into the village. Unlike most villagers who are a little disappointed that the workers are gone, Rukmani feels relief. She remarks “They may live in our midst but I can never accept them, for they lay their hands upon us and we are all turned from tilling to barter, and hoard our silver since we cannot spend it, and see our children go without the food that their children gorge, and it is that we have done these things. Now that they have gone let us forget them and return to our ways” (32). Due to the construction, the air has an acrid smell and Ira is no longer able to go in and out of the house freely because of the workmen. Rukmani is worried that they are having bad influences on the village. The construction marks the first sign of change that occurs in the village and indicates more change would happen later. A possible resolution is to move out of the village, but this would be difficult and challenging since her family has been residing in their home for great deal of years. It is hard to move out in a big hurry, because they have adapted to the place with close neighbors, culture, job, house and more. She doesn’t have enough money to afford another house either. The second possible resolution would be to stay and go with the change. This is also tough because changes would continually occur and they would cause further
conflicts.