The shaking of the sheets reminds me of getting out of bed. It's like that light has finally been turned on, so you can stay inside sleeping in hopeless apathy. You have to get up, you heard that "resonant chord" and you have to go out and do something to change things. I don't think it's meant to be derogatory (I don't think he would, even if it's what the majority of the populace thinks,) I think it's a metaphor.
This is a stretch, but...
The shaking of the sheets reminds me of getting out of bed. It's like that light has finally been turned on, so you can stay inside sleeping in hopeless apathy. You have to get up, you heard that "resonant chord" and you have to go out and do something to change things. I don't think it's meant to be derogatory (I don't think he would, even if it's what the majority of the populace thinks,) I think it's a metaphor.