Rivers thought to himself, "Nothing justifies this." It is as if Rivers is saying that the pain and mental illness the soldiers go through is not worth peace. What is peace, when all of the men who are returning home would be damaged, and unable to do anything, flinching at every raised hand, screaming in their sleeps.
On page 181, there is a description of Burns' room, "All these things must have ... young life it contained." This image contrasts with the shivering, trembling and scared Burns lying on the bed in the room. The room has so much youth and happiness within it, that the owner, after having gone through such traumatic experience as the war, no longer fits into this setting, like how he could never quite fit into his old life again. This comes to say that the war takes away a person's youth.
How does Rivers' assertion that "Nothing justifies this" show his personal 'regeneration'? Isn't it his job to justify, explain and rationalise the men's actions and experiences? Is this not an epiphanic moment for him? If so, how?
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