LA VORÁGINE: An infographic view at the novel on its centenary by Ada Fernandez

“La Vorágine,” written by Colombian José Eustasio Rivera, portrays the brutality of exploitation in the Amazon rainforest and denounces the social injustices that afflict the most vulnerable classes. Published in 1924, the novel exposes the atrocities committed by rubber extraction companies that subject indigenous and peasant workers to inhumane conditions.
The visual prominence is given to the characters in order of appearance: the size of each sphere corresponds to the dramatic weight they have within the story and the color is determined by their gender. Characters with yellow initials indicate that they ended up dead. At the top, there is a timeline with the towns and rivers that the two protagonists (Arturo Cova and Clemente Silva) cross on their journeys.
The blocks of color in the background make the three chapters evident: the first evokes the warm plain and the other two the humid jungle.
On the right, there are rubber trees drained of blood, because in order to extract the latex (milky substance) from the bark, small incisions are made and the precious liquid is collected in vessels tied to the stem.
The infographic shows various links between the characters: slavery, friendship, trade, sex, etc. Icons along the image have anecdotal data that locate the reader. White lines at the bottom highlight the characters (including the dogs) who arrive at the end of the story.
A visual look is applied that recalls the train maps of the world's major cities and in this way the connections are seen more clearly. It is necessary to design a guide on how to read the visualization and give the reader tools for its exploration.