Arthur's River

Arthur is said to have a river run through him. This symbolizes his memory because water symbolizes memory in the novel. Arthur never forgets a single moment of his life. The memories never die as long as he lives. Water lives forever as it just changes form and location. In both these ways, Arthur, the rivers, and water in general represent memory.

Graveyard

The graveyard in which many of the Yazidi people are buried represents the ways that cultures tend to protect their own more than they protect outsiders. Besma is sure that those in power will not protect the remains of the Yazidi people once flooding in the land occurs. Still, she tells her granddaughter that they, themselves, will protect the remains of these people. This never happens because Besma is killed, and Narin is sold into slavery. Furthermore, Arthur’s body is buried...