The war was made worse by the rich minerals in the soil, and the influence of the mineral was strengthened by the fear and displacement caused by the war. The intertwining of these two destructive forces is visible in the story told to Salima by a man who bought her. In this he tells of a man who put "...coltan in his mouth to prevent the soldiers from stealing his hard work, and they cut open his belly with a machete" (31). This story not only shows the harsh conditions that men in war are exposed to, but also further demonstrates the impact that coltan has on the minds of those living in the Congo. The lack of coltan leads to the destruction of the community and individual identities of those involved as it perpetuates a cycle of war that harms men, induces violence against women and ultimately creates a cycle of lost identity. Ultimately, Ruined highlights a war that devastates the people of Congo and strips them of the community they once called home and the people they were. The need for cell phones and the mineral coltan in the Western world has led to major wars and conflicts in the Congo. Ruined serves as a medium through which we can see those consequences and understand how large an impact globalism can have on other areas of the world.