You should not be sad, he said, gazing at me with his melancholy, leathery walrus eyes. It must be the love. But you are young and pretty, you will have time to be sad later. The French are connoisseurs of sadness, they know all the kinds. This is why they have bidets. It is criminal, the love, he said, patting my shoulder. But none is worse.
The speaker, with a deep sense of melancholy, reassures a young person not to feel sad, suggesting that love can cause pain but is also an essential part of life. He acknowledges the inevitability of sadness while emphasizing the youth and beauty of the person he's addressing, implying they will have plenty of time to explore those feelings in the future. His observations reflect a philosophical understanding of love and its complexities, particularly from a French perspective that embraces sadness as a nuanced experience.
Moreover, the mention of bidets humorously indicates a cultural appreciation for comfort and indulgence, suggesting that the French not only understand sadness but also have rituals to accommodate it. The character’s touch and the way he speaks convey a sense of intimacy and empathy, recognizing both the beauty and the pain intertwined in love. This exchange highlights a deeper commentary on human emotion, emphasizing that while love can be criminally painful, it is also a universal experience that shapes one’s journey through life.
