What exactly was her love worth? A few weeks of sadness? All right. And what is sadness? A bit of depression, a bit of languishing. And what is a week of sadness? No one is ever sad all of the time. She would be sad for a few minutes in the daytime, a few minutes in the evening; how many minutes in all? How many minutes of sadness did her love merit? How many minutes of sadness did he rate?Jaromil imagined his death, and he imagined the redhead's subsequent life, a life unconcerned and unchanged, coldly and cheerfully rising up above his nonbeing.
The protagonist reflects on the true value of love and its weight in the context of sadness. She considers the fleeting nature of sorrow, acknowledging that sadness is not constant but rather consists of brief moments throughout the day. This contemplation leads her to question how much sadness is actually deserved from love, pondering the minutes of emotional pain that stem from her relationship. She quantifies the worth of this sadness, intrigued by the disparity between love and the emotional consequences it can bring.
Jaromil also grapples with existential thoughts about his own death and its impact on the redhead's life. He envisions a future where she moves on without him, her life continuing unaffected by his absence. This contrast highlights the transient nature of individual existence and the contrasting permanence of life that others lead, indifferent to his demise. The narrative evokes a sense of melancholy, as it explores deep themes of love, loss, and the ephemeral nature of human emotions.
