a sentimental journey

Volume II of Sterne's novel presented an interesting scenario of a man begging only from women. Yorick was greatly puzzled watching the man and agonized over what it was that made the man such a profitable beggar. I thought the answer was somewhat obvious, that he flattered the women in order to make them more prone to donation, but this realization did not come to Yorick until he saw it actually happening. The irony here of course is that in order to receive, one must first give. It is almost blatantly symbolic of male-female relationships in the sense that giving a woman what she wants, whether it be flattery or emotional intimacy, gets the man what he wants, and that is sex. Its an exchange of the intangible for the tangible and not exactly a fair trade in my opinion, but a frequent one nonetheless. I wasn't quite sure what he was trying to accomplish with the dark alley. He states that a man who fears walking up a dark entry way is fit for many things but not fit for being a sentimental traveler. Perhaps being afraid to explore the dark alley is like being afraid to explore ones own minds and confront unwanted thoughts and truths. While he is on a physical journey through France and Italy, he is moreso on an emotional journey through his mind, and those afraid to enter such a dark and threatening place cannot experience the world in the same manner as the sentimental traveler. There is a hint of light which is perhaps reason, but mainly darkness or confusion, and only when one penetrates the darkness do they find the answers.