Sandman Part 2
October 15th 2006 12:11
The next couple of posts I do are really just pointing out the allegories that can be derived from Neil Gaiman's Sandman comic book (or graphic novel, whatever). They aren't sanctioned, they aren't even approved. I haven't read anything of Mr Gaiman's that says I am right or anything like that. This is just what I think. Feel free to tell me what you reckon.
This post won't make any sense unless you go and read the one before it. I'll wait. You done? Wonderful. Sorry to everyone who had to wait.
In this part of the story The Sandman travels to hell in order to recover his helmet from a demon. Lucifer gathers all the demons together and when The Sandman finds the one that has his helmet a duel ensues. The duel is a variant of the riddle game, with the combatants assuming a form that defeats the form of their opponent. After a few basic moves, The Sandman decides to abandon what he calls the offensive assumes the form of a world, teeming with life. The demon assumes the form of a nova that destroys the world. The Sandman assumes the form of the universe, of all of existence. The demon assumes the form of the beast at the end of days, the darkness that is at the end of everything. The Sandman assumes the form of hope and is victorious. The helmet is returned and The Sandman thanks Lucifer for being so neighbourly and of course Lucifer decides to be a jerk and threatens the Sandman with oblivion (he does after all have all his demons in one place) on the basis that in hell, dreams have no power (it is, lets face it, not a very cheery place). The Sandman has an absolutely killer response. "You say I have no power? Perhaps you speak truly. But you say that dreams have no power here? Tell me Lucifer Morningstar...ask yourselves, all of you....what power would hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to dream of heaven?"
The nature of hope is littered throughout this part of the story. And it is perfect that it is littered so liberally when the main part of this part is set in hell. But more on that later. During the riddle game the form that each of the players takes is shown, save for the last one. Hope is given no face, no form. It simply is. Which is perfect. Hope when you can see that things are going to work out isn't hope at all. That's just being happy. GK Chesterton once said that hope was the ability to remain cheerful despite impending destruction. Hope is what you have when things have gone to hell but you are still holding on despite that.
JoshZ
This post won't make any sense unless you go and read the one before it. I'll wait. You done? Wonderful. Sorry to everyone who had to wait.
In this part of the story The Sandman travels to hell in order to recover his helmet from a demon. Lucifer gathers all the demons together and when The Sandman finds the one that has his helmet a duel ensues. The duel is a variant of the riddle game, with the combatants assuming a form that defeats the form of their opponent. After a few basic moves, The Sandman decides to abandon what he calls the offensive assumes the form of a world, teeming with life. The demon assumes the form of a nova that destroys the world. The Sandman assumes the form of the universe, of all of existence. The demon assumes the form of the beast at the end of days, the darkness that is at the end of everything. The Sandman assumes the form of hope and is victorious. The helmet is returned and The Sandman thanks Lucifer for being so neighbourly and of course Lucifer decides to be a jerk and threatens the Sandman with oblivion (he does after all have all his demons in one place) on the basis that in hell, dreams have no power (it is, lets face it, not a very cheery place). The Sandman has an absolutely killer response. "You say I have no power? Perhaps you speak truly. But you say that dreams have no power here? Tell me Lucifer Morningstar...ask yourselves, all of you....what power would hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to dream of heaven?"
The nature of hope is littered throughout this part of the story. And it is perfect that it is littered so liberally when the main part of this part is set in hell. But more on that later. During the riddle game the form that each of the players takes is shown, save for the last one. Hope is given no face, no form. It simply is. Which is perfect. Hope when you can see that things are going to work out isn't hope at all. That's just being happy. GK Chesterton once said that hope was the ability to remain cheerful despite impending destruction. Hope is what you have when things have gone to hell but you are still holding on despite that.
JoshZ
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