Then, what's the matter?' I wonder, in fact, how many times I have said that or something equal to it to a woman passing palely through my life. Love is what this means, of course. Or at least, second best: surrender. Or at the least, take some time regaling me with why you won't, and maybe by the end you will.
The narrator reflects on the recurring theme of love and its complexities, expressing a sense of yearning for connection with those he encounters. He contemplates how many times he's posed the question of what is wrong, hinting at a deeper desire to understand and empathize with the women in his life.
This search for affection and the hope of surrendering to love becomes a central motif. The narrator suggests that he is willing to listen to their reasons for hesitation, believing that through dialogue, there might be a possibility of fostering a genuine relationship.
