The river flows through this novel as a way to get in and out of the town. It represents the connection of the people in outlying villages, such as Zabeth, to the commerce and comradery of the town. It has secret channels, shallows, and depths. It is a symbol of moving from the past to the future as well as a way to relate to the past from the present. The river has associated sight and sounds. When Salim is still a newcomer to the town, he notes that the river and the forest were like “presences, and much more powerful than you. You felt unprotected, an intruder” (8). Perhaps most importantly, the river represents the flow of history. It was there long before the colonial government, and it will flow long after the new government’s power has waned. It will outlive the people.

These flowers are new to the river, so new that the local people have no name for them other than “the new thing in the river” (46). It is a fast-growing plant that has to be continually removed from spots where it clogs river channels. It grows faster than it can be cleared.