"In "Triage" the main characters grow. This helps heal the tragedy of their lives.
In Triage a novel by Scott Anderson, the three main characters are forced into a situation in which to overcome their war related problems, they must grow emotionally and mentally. For some, this is an emotional journey rather than a mental one. This is the case for Elena. She is a troubled wife who has to deal with a traumatized partner, Mark. One main dilemma that arises is that in order to return Mark to his normal state, Elena needs the assistance of Joaquin, her grandfather she had previously disowned. Together, the three have to untangle all the knots in their intertwined lives, the result being their growth through healing.
Elena is a refugee assistance worker in New York. She wishes "never to stand face-to-face with those suffering and tell them there was nothing she could do". Each day she tries to reunite families by matching names with search requests. For every request fulfilled, there are twenty in the lost pile. .
Through her work she learn how easy loved ones are lost. With Mark always going to these "contested zones", she is distressed as she knows the circumstances still stand. She has to learn to cope with the long spells when Mark is risking his life. When he begins to lose his sanity and starts "cracking up" upon his return from Kurdistan she has to be strong. Elena has to let Joaquin back into her life, but she still cannot accept the fact that Joaquin once helped mass murders and war criminals to get back on the street. She still is "stiff and unyielding in his embrace". Despite the many problems and dilemmas which have arisen in her life this does not indicate her life is tragic. Her life if full of pain, but if she can still find love, it cannot be classed as tragic. To feel pain for love is definitely worth it, much like Talzani's words suggest "Pain is always preferable to numbness". Her life is not tragic, but it is encircled by tragedy.