Journey to the River Sea

Situated in the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries, the Amazon Rainforest is one of the world’s most biologically diverse habitats and harbors millions of animal and plant species, including many that have yet to be documented by science. Since its discovery by Spanish explorer Vicente Yáñez Pinzón in 1500, the Amazon has captured the European imagination as an exotic territory full of both dangers and riches. Over time, many European scientific and commercial expeditions have been launched, motivated by Romantic Portrayals of Wilderness Exploration and Human Greed and Exploitation.

The novel is set in the early 1900s, a time in which much of the rainforest was still unsettled wilderness, before large-scale deforestation began in the 1960s. During the early 1900s, it was common for American and European natural history entrepreneurs to fund their voyages of exploration to the Amazon by collecting and selling exotic specimens. One famous example is the British explorer Percy Harrison Fawcett, who made multiple journeys along the Amazon River between 1906 and 1925. He chose to travel light and live off the jungle to avoid attracting the attention of Indigenous tribespeople, who were known to react with hostility to white invaders. Fawcett spread wild tales of the exotic species he’d encountered, such as anaconda, giant spiders, and two-nosed tiger hounds. He also wanted to discover a lost ancient city that he believed to be buried in the jungle. In 1925, Fawcett disappeared in the jungle, sparking wild theories on how he met his death. Hundreds of unsuccessful and often deadly missions were launched by those eager to discover Fawcett’s remains.

Given the problematic nature of invasive explorations by American and European explorers, the wording of the novel itself is designed to reflect early 20th-century attitudes toward exploration and exploitation in the Amazon, and both the flat and the dynamic characters demonstrate the nature of the biases inherent in society during this time frame. The main protagonists in the novel (Maia, Finn, and Miss Minton) all have a unique connection to the Amazon’s ecosystem as naturalists, explorers, and healers, and their innate appreciation for the Amazon drives their transformative arcs in the story. This positive trend culminates in their journey on the Amazon River’s largest left tributary, the Rio Negro, or Black River, which is notable for its aquatic species richness and turtle beaches. The author also echoes the historical accounts of Fawcett’s disappearance when reports of the protagonists’ mysterious disappearance inspire the river police’s search-and-rescue mission to bring them back to Manaus. However, while the protagonists display a deep love and spiritual connection with the Amazon, both minor characters and flat characters—such as the Carters, the investigators, and the girls at Maia’s school—are terrified of the prospect of unknown dangers represented by Amazonian wildlife and people. Their Fear of the Unknown creates their flat and stereotypical characterizations in the novel, and by refusing to develop such characters to any great depth, the author likewise implies that the very shallowness of their views renders them unworthy of time or discussion. Her attention likewise remains focused on developing those characters who embrace the life and people of the Amazonian jungles with eager enthusiasm.