"The Sandman" is one of the best-known stories of the German author and musician E.T.A. Hoffmann, and has arguably also become one of his most analyzed. The most famous analysis of "The Sandman" and its themes comes from the renowned Viennese psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who cited the story as a prime example of the sentiment of "the uncanny," by then increasingly evoked in European literature.
Because of Hoffmann's great influence in European culture, "The Sandman" has also frequently appeared in musical and film adaptations, including an Oscar-nominated short film by Paul Berry, from the 19th century onwards. The name of the titular Sandman may be most familiar to American readers...
