Chapter 37 Summary

The narrator gives a summary of sleeping conditions in London for vagrants, starting with the least expensive (the Embankment) and ending with the most expensive (lodging houses), with the pros and cons of each. He proposes legislation that would improve lodging for tramps: men should have their own private sleeping space and lodging providers should be required to install comfortable beds.

Chapter 37 Analysis

The dynouement (conflict resolution) from the last chapter continues in greater detail in this chapter. As backup for his proposed legislation, the narrator cites the municipal lodging house in Croydon as a shining example. There, the beds are comfortable and private, and the fee is only nine pence a day. Therefore, all lodging houses should be able to provide good comfort for that price.