The main events that articulate the story are: the devotion and fidelity of Peri (a term derived from the ancient Tupi word piripiri, a type of reed),[2] the Goitacá Indian, to Cecília de Mariz (who is often called Ceci, a term derived from the ancient Tupi word sasy, "his pain": in this case, Peri's pain at seeing his love for Cecília unrequited);[3] Isabel's love for Álvaro, and his love for Cecília; the accidental death of an Aimoré Indian woman by Dom Diogo and the resulting revolt and attack by the Aimoré, all of which occurs with a rebellion by Dom Antônio de Mariz's men, led by Loredano, an ambitious and ill-tempered man who wants to plunder the house and kidnap Cecília.
Álvaro, who already knew of Isabel's love for him and already loved her, is injured in the battle against the Aimoré. Isabel, seeing her lover's body in her room, tries to kill herself by suffocating along with Álvaro's body. When she sees him alive, she tries to save him, but he refuses, and they die together.
During the attack, Dom Antônio, realizing he can no longer resist, tasks Peri with saving Cecília, after having baptized him as a Christian. The two leave, with Cecília sleeping, and Peri watches the house explode in the distance. Cecília is left with only Peri.
For days, Peri and Cecília set out for an unknown destination and are surprised by a strong storm, which turns into a flood. Sheltered atop a palm tree, Cecília waits for death to arrive, but Peri tells an indigenous legend according to which Tamandaré and his wife saved themselves from a flood by sheltering in the canopy of a palm tree detached from the earth and feeding on its fruit. When the flood subsides, Tamandaré and his wife descend and populate the Earth.
The waters rise, Cecília despairs. Peri, with great force, uproots the palm tree and makes a canoe from it so they can continue down the river, implying that the legend of Tamandaré has repeated itself with Peri and Cecília.
