Triage Mark Walsh Analysis

The novel "Triage" by Scott Anderson demonstrates Mark Walsh's progress when the stage of denial he is in finally comes to an abrupt stop. A pivotal image in "Triage" is the paradox of the healer to hasten the death of the "incurables". Joaquin Morales shoots those whom he can not cure in order to help the community whilst Ahmet Talzani shoots them due to the fact he may not be able to help them. Both of these men are quiet alike, but it is Joaquin who helps Mark combat the guilt he has bottled up inside. Marks healing begins when Joaquin aids him in getting through all the guilt he has kept deep inside of himself.

Mark Walsh, a photojournalist who hides behind the lens of his camera, is witness to the traumatizing events of war, such as the boy in Beirut and the woman in Uganda. Marks psychological disintegration occurs in the aftermath of returning from the war in Kurdistan. Marks grief gradually becomes worse due to such a vexationing event of his best friend Colin's death. Not only is Marks psychological state deteriorating he is declining physically too and cannot handle the impact of life itself any longer and his lover Elena can see this and wants him to seek immediate help.
Joaquin had to shoot the "incurables" because he knew they would be a danger to the community and Ahmet Talzani uses the system of "Triage" due to "the people need to believe there is a system" and that there is no order to whom lives and who dies in war. Mark begins to believe that it wasn't his fault of what happened to Colin and shoes that he is finally able to forgive himself and let the tight grasp he has been holding over himself like the grasp around his head of Colins body when he throws a bunch of wild flowers into the "Guadefelo River", Mark is finally freeing himself and releasing Colin's spirit that he felt was with him through his journey of