One of the main components that makes us different from animals is that we use logical thinking. When we make decisions, we often consider the advantages and the harms of each choice. But most of the time, our emotion overcomes our logical, and this is when we take the risk instead of following our logic. In the novel, Waiting by Ha Jin, the main character Lin is constantly making choices such as dealing with the unhappily arranged marriage to Shuyu, the unexpected affair with Manna, and the mixed feelings with the new borns. Lin failed to take control of his own life. Although Lin and Manna both have the opportunities to make decisions following their hearts, due to their lack of courage, they choose to compromise rather than taking risks. …show more content…
Lin has to marry a person who he never met, in order to fulfill his parents’ demands.
The marriage life that Lin has is not real since he does not have feelings towards Shuyu; he never experienced what marriage really feels like, “For seventeen years, since the birth of their only child, he had remained separate from his wife. Whenever he was home, he would sleep alone in his own room. He didn’t love her; nor did he dislike her.” (Ha 9) Instead of rejecting to do things that do not correspond to his mind, Lin chooses to compromise and fulfill his parents’ needs. It is fair to say that Lin is a person who does not know what he wants until he meets