The Sandman's "The Kindly Ones" and the Modern Myth

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Through much of The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, myths of varying cultures are used as inspiration for many of the issues, such as #50 “Ramadan”, which draws from One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, and the special “Song of Orpheus”, which is a retelling of the myth. However, the mythological reference reach their high point in the collection nine in the series, The Kindly Ones, which holds issues 57-69. The entire plot of the story is structured like a Greek tragedy; the protagonist, Morpheus is the ill-fated hero, and each interlude is narrated by the “chorus”, the Furies themselves. While this structure is intact and it bears many references to various mythologies (such as Lyta’s Medusa imagery and Loki’s role in the plot), the story itself is not based on any one particular myth. Rather, it serves as the climax of the main storyline of the Sandman comics. Throughout the series, the main theme has been change, as Dream of the Endless, or Morpheus as he’s commonly called, has been attempting to make amends for his past actions due to his cold and selfish tendencies. Despite these attempts, however, his past has caught up to him, which resulted in the Furies destroying his realm and all those that live in it. Therefore, Dream must make a choice: let everything he’s known and loved be destroyed, or accept the ultimate change: die and save what is left. In the end, Dream chooses to die.

In many ways, it can be seen in our modern world as the dangers of refusing to change, despite the consequences of our actions. Dream is an an immortal being beyond the capabilities of even gods, but he couldn’t escape his fate either. Dream made attempts to make up for his past mistakes, but in the end it wasn’t enough. The guilt and despair over his actions prevented him from truly being able to change; he wanted to be punished for his actions. This unwillingness is ultimately what kills him, but he of course can’t truly die. Instead, Dream is replaced with another aspect of himself, one who is much kinder compared to the cold dream of before. Humans, unfortunately, don’t have that luxury. However, we all have different aspects of ourselves that we can present to the world while we’re alive. We have the power to change who we are when the time calls for it, as long as we are willing to do so.

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