Effects Of War And Death In Scott Anderson's Triage

Scott Anderson’s novel, Triage, portrays the different effects that war and death can have on people. Mark, Joaquin, and Elena endure different experiences with war and death and are affected in different ways. Mark’s traumas originate from his time as a war photographer. His ability to capture war’s most grueling moments grants him the opportunity to shoot in many war-torn areas such as Beirut, Sri Lanka, Kurdistan, and Uganda. Mark’s first experience of war is in Beirut. He describes the fighting in Beirut as, “Total madness” (119). During a battle which Mark is photographing a boy runs to Mark looking to him for help. Mark is in no position to help the boy and soldiers are closing in so Mark hides in the doorway of a building, “I duck down into the doorway, cover my head. And I’m crouched there, waiting, but nothing happens. It …show more content…
However, it’s obvious that he was in pain and is still in pain because of his response to Joaquin asking him if he felt something, “Fuck you, Joaquin” (155). This response demonstrates that Mark is unable to talk about what he saw. This hinders him from making progress towards moving on. This event, along with a culmination of others, prevents Mark from being able to walk. Mark’s experience in Kurdistan has the greatest effect on him. Mark’s best friend Colin dies from an explosion while they are hiking in the mountains. Mark tries to save him but is unable to. Colin’s death weighs so heavily on Mark that it creates a block in his mind that renders him unable to walk. Mark thinks it’s a physical problem but the doctor informs him, “It seems pretty clear to me that what happened to you in Kurdistan, the physical injury is now being complicated by some kind of psychosomatic reaction” (98). Mark’s time as a war photographer exposes him to some of the world’s worst horrors. These experiences add up and take a toll on Mark’s psyche until his mental state of is