'A Good Night's Sleep', novelleanalyse

One of the themes in this short story is sleeplessness, Lockhart’s problems with sleeping in the night, the other theme is homelessness.

George Lockhart is a sleepless man. He is single, but he has an ex-wife Elaine, and they have a son together, called Ben. Lockhart has some problems with sleeping, he listen to things from outside Squeals of taxi-brakes, doors being slammed, or just people who are on their way home from pubs, and parties, although he says that the street where he lives isn’t that busy. He listens to his neighbors, and he tries to rearrange his pillow, arms or legs to sleep better, but none of it works. He is sleepless. George Lockhart seems stressed and annoyed because he can’t get his sleep. He is a teacher of communication and General Studies, because of this he needs a good sleep. I find Lockhart very sympathetic. When he sees the homeless girl he starts to talk with her, he gives her a cigarette, and offers her a place to sleep. He found it terrible that a young girl like her was homeless and he felt sorry for her. When he opens his door and he says “Yes” with a keen voice, he apologized afterwards, that also meant that he has respect for the girl even though she’s homeless… When he goes back to sleep in his bed he is still thinking of her sleeping outside, so that means that he has a conscience.