Continuing his conversation with the old woman, S. learns a few big things about love on this page.

Before S.’s reconciliations about love, he sees “the images of himself in her lens reorienting themselves” (289).  A common use of symbolism, reflections can show us a characters view of themselves.  It seems that S., unsurprisingly, has some sort of changing view of himself.  At one moment he may believe he is incredibly righteous, while at another he thinks of himself as a huge disappointment to his cause.  Ultimately, S. can not see just himself in the mirror, because he does not know who he is, but is formulating a new view all the time.

While staring at the woman she confronts him, asking if he is going to “ask about Sola” (289).  S. is so wrapped up in his new found mission that he has forgot about love.  Jen points out in the margins that this is what could have been happening to Straka a lot.  If this book is a message to F.X.C. then perhaps this is some sort of explanation or excuse.

Finally, S. learns that love “gets into the lungs, and from the lungs into the blood” (289).  While Eric think this is about how love is either essential or unavoidable, I see it as much more of a suffocating idea.  I would think if love were essential, we would have a much more pleasurable description here.  The idea that it is in your lungs, and then your blood seems overwhelming and scary.

I think it certainly could be argued that Straka was very scared of love, and while we do not know his whole story, it is not to hard to piece most of it together.