He would prefer that the woman appears when he thinks of her, that there should exist a clear correlation between conscious thought and realisation but his is not the case. He is forced to modify the theory he is testing acknowledging that the woman's face merely "appeared" and those appearances were always at night. By the end of the play "he has done all he can do, he is now at the mercy of Providence. The woman will appear "if", pleased with his efforts, she decides to appear." There is an element of ritual to the piece, another common element of Beckett's theatre. Perhaps it is the only way he can feel he can retain some element of control over – or at least involvement in – the process.