The narrator complains that he's a bit "shut in" when it comes to interacting with others. He's worried that his wife isn't acting like a normal person, and he wants to know what she's up to. The narrator tells us that he has worked in many different kinds of jobs, and that he knows that people can do more than they're led to believe. He also says that he doesn't blame his wife for being so shut-in. She's just trying to do her job.