Manuscript received August 11, 2023; revised September 20, 2023; accepted November 2, 2023; published February 29, 2024.
Abstract—This article analyzes the use of river narratives as a symbol in literature from various regions of the world. Through the examination of works by authors such as Manuel María Madiedo (Colombia), George Eliot (United Kingdom), and Zhang Chengzhi (China), this paper demonstrates the universal nature of river symbolism and how it reflects human experiences and social realities. The authors employ literary techniques such as foreshadowing, symbolism, and metaphor to convey multifaceted images of the region and its people, exploring larger societal issues such as the struggle for individual agency, national identity, and cultural ideals. Ultimately, this paper argues that river narratives have the potential to resonate with the collective consciousness, contributing to a broader dialogue between Colombian and world literature.
Keywords—cultural education, literary genres, literary history, society
Cite: Alvaro R. García, "The Universal Symbolism of River Narratives in Modern Literature," International Journal of Social Science and Humanity vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 41-44, 2024.
Copyright © 2024 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (
CC BY 4.0).