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In ETA Hoffman’s “The Sandman,” clarity of vision and accurate perception are given irrefutable importance, as they serve as a focal theme which pervades the story. In this text, perception is not limited to the conventional definition of the physical act of observation and sight. Rather, perception encompasses a broader meaning; it is an amalgam of the physical process of sight coupled with mental process of comprehension. In this way, perception refers to the interplay of cognition and the interpretation of others’ motivations by an individual. ...
The importance of visual clarity and perception is first evident from the narrator’s introduction, which is preceded by a series of letters from Nathanael to his relatives at home, and vice versa. ... When introduced to the mythical character of the Sandman, his mind becomes transfixed with this character’s allegedly gory nature. Although his mother denies the existence of the Sandman and then likens him to a hypothetical, innocuous character, Nathanael decidedly rejects her statements intended to quell the fears of her children. Nathanael only becomes more convinced of the Sandman’s existence as a pernicious being as this panders to his need for creative stimulation. ... Moreover, Nathanael surmises that Coppelius is in fact the Sandman. ... In adulthood, his persistent belief in paranormal forces transcends childish thought and make him fall prey to hopelessness and irrational fear, as he anticipates his demise at the hands of the Sandman. ...
Clara, as her name suggests, is a symbol of clarity and intellectual sobriety. ... Nathanael appears to have superimposed the Sandman’s characteristics upon Coppelius, as Clara proposes in her brilliant theory. ... As a result, he reverts to his former, pessimistic way of thought, consumed by morbid ruminations. ... ” (59)
Nathanael’s new perspective, both literal and figurative, has a marked effect on his thought. ... Furthermore, she personifies an object that is incapable of walking and likens it to being human, in much the same way that Nathanael personified Olimpia and legitimated the existence of the imaginary Sandman. ... Nathanael is unable to strike a balance between rational thought and his inherent method of perception which caters the facts to his fancy. ... Nathanael repeatedly mistakes and equates one entity for another—Coppelius for the Sandman, Coppola for Coppelius, and Olimpia for a living being capable of appreciating his thoughts. ... spectacles, looking glasses and telescopes) are used as metonymical vehicles, relating the literal and figurative definitions of perception. ... Rather, they further complicate his perception, although Nathanael now rationalizes what he “sees.
Approximate Word count = 2035
Approximate Pages = 8.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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