In Ha Jin's Waiting, Manna and Lin manage to convince themselves that they are in love, even though their infatuation simply stems from having a few things in common. The attraction they feel for each other is more social than intimate. Yet both are unaware of this and are now trapped in a loveless marriage, which Lin had tried to prevent. The desire they feel for each other is a result of the content they feel in rebelling against the social norms of Communist China in the 1960s. They both want to try something risky and different from what they normally do. There is nothing unique about this desire, but Lin and Manna fall victim to the euphoria of this desire and become convinced that they are both right for each other. But once the moment of joy and excitement passes, both characters are forced to put their choices and their lives into perspective. The transition that Lin and Manna's relationship goes through is a result of the euphoria of their challenge slowly starting to fade and reality coming into perspective. Ha Jin illustrates how both Manna and Lin are often subjected to irrational thoughts and delusional fixations to escape the society they find lifeless. Lin and Manna never reach an intimate relationship because they are both infatuated with each other rather than the actual person. Admiration is not love. Manna sees Lin as nothing more than a man he can build a future with while Lin sees Manna as a woman he can be able to introduce to the public. Their relationship is never able to get out of this vanity phase. Even at the beginning of the book, Lin shows his obsession with appearances after having a loveless marriage with his current wife... middle of paper... elvish and ungenerous person. Manna calls Lin this, referring to her reluctance to bribe her divorce from Shuyu (Jin 174). Manna resents Lin because she feels he is not willing to do whatever it takes to be together. It can be argued that Manna said this because of the pain she was experiencing during labor, but this comment represents Manna's subconscious or at least a thought that crossed her mind more than once. As Lin and Manna become more realistic with their life decisions, the more their relationship begins to deteriorate. Both Lin and Manna have made a series of choices that have landed them in an unwanted situation. Both were too caught up in the excitement behind the risk they were taking, to realize that they both want more in a relationship. Once there was no longer any risk to take, their relationship becomes empty.