Through the Arc of the Rain Forest

Karen Tei Yamashita’s Through the Arc of the Rain Forest (1990) is a magical realist story from Coffee House Press. Narrated by a sentient floating sphere, the story primarily takes place in Brazil. Utilizing fantastical elements, the novel addresses issues of environmentalism, economic inequality, and faith.

Plot Summary

A sentient ball narrates the novel in the first person and provides third person narration for the other characters. The story opens on the shores of Japan, where the ball hits Kazumasa on the head and remains in his orbit for the rest of the story. Kazumasa gets a job for the railway system, using the ball to identify weaknesses in the rails, but technology outmodes him. He moves to Brazil, São Paulo, near Batista and Tania Aparecida Djapan.

Batista and Tania are a passionate couple, but Batista is extremely jealous. Batista finds an injured pigeon and trains it to deliver messages. After neighbors win the lottery because of a pigeon message, the community becomes enthralled with the pigeon. The bird prophesizes Kazumasa will become rich, and he wins a fortune gambling. He gives away his money freely. With Kazumasa’s charity, Batista and Tania expand their hobby into a full-fledged pigeon messenger business. Kazumasa also gives money to his cousin Hiroshi, who invests it, growing the fortune. Kazumasa’s maid, Lourdes, and her two children, Rubens and Gislaine, move in with him. Lourdes and Kazumasa form an attraction, but don’t express their feelings.

Elsewhere in Brazil lives the forest native, Mané Pena. A storm ravages Mané’s farmland and uncovers a strange, smooth, miles-long surface underneath: the Matacão. Mané believes bird feathers have healing properties, and he espouses these beliefs to reporters visiting the Matacão. A three-armed businessman named J.B. Tweep is convinced feathers will be the next hot item. He travels to Brazil so GGG, J.B.’s employers, can dominate the feather market. GGG employs Mané and dubs him the founder of featherology. GGG discovers the Matacão is a plastic that can be used across multiple industries, and they begin selling both normal and plastic feathers.

A fisherman, Chico Paco, lives in seaside town in Brazil. There, he helps his neighbor Gilberto, who can’t walk. Gilberto’s grandmother prays for Gilberto’s legs and swears to journey all the way to the Matacão if he recovers. Gilberto recovers, but Chico makes the pilgrimage to the Matacão instead. Chico reaches the Matacão, and the public idolizes him as a living angel. Chico meets Mané, and the two become lifelong friends. Although Chico completed his pilgrimage, the image of a young boy dominates his dreams. 

Rubens falls 14 stories after trying to grab to grab his pigeon off the balcony, lands in the back of a meat truck, and is driven far from his home. Lourdes prays to Chico and sends him a letter with a picture of her missing son. Chico recognizes Rubens from his dream and walks to São Paulo, thousands of miles away. Rubens makes it home safely. To complete this second pilgrimage, Chico once again travels back to the Matacão. After, Chico starts a religious radio station, Radio Chico. Tania expands the business and travels internationally. Batista and Tania don’t see each other for over a year, which torments Batista.

J.B. strongarms Kazumasa and the ball into travelling in search of more Matacão. Other companies target Kazumasa, and Lourdes travels to the Matacão in search of Kazumasa.

Gilberto and Chico’s mother come to stay with Chico. Gilberto loves thrills and excitement now that he can walk. J.B. and Chico co-fund an amusement park on the Matacão to appease Gilberto. A terrible typhus epidemic breaks out across Brazil, and Chico hopes opening the amusement park will give people hope. Secretly, Gilberto plans to launch himself from a canon during the grand opening to surprise Chico.

Kidnappers take Rubens and Gislaine, demanding Kazumasa and the ball in exchange for the children. Kazumasa and the ball intend to surrender themselves to save the children. All the characters converge at the amusement park opening in Matacão. A kidnappers pulls a gun and accidentally fatally shoots Chico. Gilberto dies from his cannon trick.

Lice in the popular bird feathers has caused the typhus epidemic. Mané falls victims to the disease along with his children. The Brazilian government carpet bombs the country with a louse-killing agent, killing countless bird species in the rain forest and Batista’s pigeons. Matacão plastic is also toxic and disintegrates. With GGG in shambles, J.B. commits suicide.

Batista and Tania reunite at last. Without the Matacão, the ball dies. Kazumasa and Lourdes confess their love and move with her children onto a farm. Slowly, nature begins to return.