Describe symbolism in The Famished Road by Ben Okri

In Book V, there is very real symbolism linked to the actions of Azaro's parents in conjunction with what happened to him in the spirit world. When his mother cried, it materialized in the spirit world as a rainstorm that actually washed away houses. Her tears were amplified to torrents of real water. A similar event happened with his father. His anger caused a storm to unleash itself in Azaro's "world." His physical emotion caused turbulence in the spirit realm. The ceremony with Azaro's father and the herbalist also coincided with the battle, which took place between the three-headed spirit and the ferrywoman. As the ceremony proceeded, the spirit started getting damaged (losing heads). When the ceremony concluded, the spirit "died."