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Unit 32: G.K. Chesterton-On Lying In Bed ...

surrounding him in his home in comparison to the beautiful possibilities he sees in his Notes
white ceiling that his story of lying in bed is a metaphor for his feelings about society as a
whole. He makes the claim that the morals of proper behavior and hygiene adopted by
society inhibit creativity. By disregarding those arbitrary values, says Chesterton, people
will lead more fulfilling lives.
• Chesterton calls upon the credibility of famous artists such as Michael Angelo when he
suggests that great works of genius such as Michael Angelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel
were only created because people disregarded expectations, and spent more time
metaphorically “lying in bed”. Chesterton also employs Logos to make his case when he
says that less respectable people such as burglars and misers comply with societal norms
and get up early. To make his argument stronger, Chesterton brings up a converse argument;
too much time spent in bed could make a person lazy. He ends his essay by refuting this
detractor of his claim and saying that one should only occasionally lay in bed, and when
one is doing so, they must make no excuse for being there. If this is done, a person will go
to bed and wake up “a healthy man”.

32.4 Key-Words
1. Exhilaration : The feeling of lively and cheerful joy.
2. Contradictions : Discrepancy inconsistency.

32.5 Review Questions

1. Give a Critical analysis of the essay On Laying in Bed.
2. What did Chesterton try to provide the readers from on Lying in Bed.
Answers: Self-Assessment
1. (i)(d) (ii)(a) (iii)(b) (iv)(c)

32.6 Further Readings

1. Banshi Dhar, G.K. Chesterton and the twentieth century english essays, S. Chand
and Company Ltd.
2. Randall Paine, The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterten, Ignatius Press, 2006.

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