Lin states that "Men wage wars for profit and principle, but they fight them for land and women. Sooner or later, the other causes and compelling reasons drown in blood and lose their meaning. Sooner or later, death and survival clog the senses. Sooner or later, surviving is the only logic, and dying is the only voice and vision."

But, Lin didn't die. He lived through the war. Lived to change his life. How do you think Lin found his "logic" by living through the war?

Well, all the dying in the war gave him the logic to 'smarten up ' and survive.
But I'm not entirely sure HOW he's changed since the war. He did say to Lisa Carter that he has changed.

I think every period of a person's life, they go through a kind of re-birth of sorts. Something I'm going through right now, too. :( Either you fall apart, or scramble to find the logic that takes you to a higher place where it won't flood.

GDR has such a poetic way with words that they tend to speak to my heart more than to my mind. Hence, I'm having a little trouble interpreting the quote...I can feel the weight and heft of it, but I can't explain exactly what it means!
However, at the risk of sounding hopelessly naive, I'll offer my view that Lin's experience in the war zone allowed him to discover that there is value in surviving and in fighting for your survival. You may think you don't care about your life, but when push comes to shove you'll do whatever you can to stay alive, for that next breath. It could be that Lin felt his life up to that point had been more like a battle ground of conflicting desires and goals and identities. When he got to a real battle ground in Afghanistan maybe some of those inner conflicts got resolved.
I wouldn't say Lin got to a place of peace within himself, but he got to a place where he could make his own way, confidently, as his own authority and not need that outside authority figure bossing him around anymore. I think he came to realize that his life had value and merit and logic if for no other reason than that it was his life.

After reading y'all's thoughts and rereading my own question....for whatever reason...I'm reminded of something my dear late auntie used to say..."that which doen't kill us, makes us stronger."

Valuing life! Nicely put, Parlez.
BUT...
I thought he learned that during his stint in the Jail. No, I guess, he didn't.. In the jail, he learned to forgive.

OK, then. He learned to value life in Afghanistan.
Sounds good to me! :thumbsup

Enjoyed reading all of your responses. I have to agree with the survival instinct. Lin questions why he survived if I remember correctly---fate? It's also interesting to me as to anyone that's been involved in combat, how that experience of surviving war while those you care about die around you, affects you when you return. Does it cause you to have an even more appreciaton of the sanctity of life? Does it make you question the sanity of war?

You took the words right out of my fingertips, Susan!


I think it's as simple as Lin going to war for the wrong reasons, fully expecting to not come back, but the survival instinct is not something you have to consciously think about.

Of all the bad situations he'd lived through, the war was just the one that made him finally realise he wanted more than just survival.

Now I have to finish reading that chapter. :rolleyes: :lol:

"...the war was just the one that made him finally realise he wanted more than just survival. "


See, I completely and utterly missed this point the first time through. :shistle
(I was completely caught up with the loss of his close friends.)
Yeah, by the end of the book he's ready for some girly lovin'.