Character Analysis of Nathanael in ETA Hoffmann's Sandman

Eerily uncanny at times, “The Sandman” by E.T.A. Hoffman invokes a sense of hesitant curiosity in its readers, surpassing the societal norm of its era by means of perception. The tale leaves readers unsure of reality, questioning the legitimacy of the claims of a man later described as mad. At times, the reader is left with no alternative but to trust the main character, Nathanael, an occurrence later tainted by the dubious nature of his assertions. The embodiment of this dynamic view of reality lies in Nathanael's misguided perception of women. The reader is presented with a mad man, spinning a web of delusion speckled with neurotic behavior, and is influenced by a hesitant curiosity invoked by the intricacy of what seems to be nothing more than paranoia. However, the key to Nathanael's madness lies, not in this perception of women, but in his obsession to maintain control over his surroundings. Nathanael's perception of women is simply a product of childhood trauma which instilled in him an inherent fear of inferiority. This fear later resurfaces and influences Nathanael to project his inferiority onto female characters, as they are the most vulnerable. Viewing others as inferior allows Nathanael to rationalize asserting control over them, which is essentially the root to his madness as a whole. While Nathanael's madness may seem volatile and without cause at first glance, his route to insanity began early on, rooted in a childhood trauma so grave, it would grow to impact the rest of his life. Nathanael's first exhibitions of neurotic behavior came in the face of newly built relationships, causing the reader to question why a man would ever push away those so dear to
Brown 2 him. As Friedrich Nietzsche puts it, “There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness.” Nathanael's reason lied in his past. As a child, he had few role models to look up to. His parents often invited a man best