In Neil Gaiman's second volume of the popular Sandman series, The Doll's House, abstract concepts such as Dream, Desire, Death, and Despair at times assume the tangible form of human bodies, walking through our world and other dimensions of their own creation. Though each concept differs from one another in myriad ways, they are all inextricably linked by their dependence on humanity to sustain them and their reliance on one another to function. Dream in particular, is versatile in his relationships with the other concepts, functioning as a conduit for Desire and an escape from Despair.
The Doll's House features sequences of individual character dreams, where desire and escape are illustrated by various scenarios: young Jed who is transported through his dreams to a place where he is wanted by those around him, a real family--of superheroes, nonetheless!--that cater to his whims and love him; Barbie's dreams depict a princess on a quest, one who is taken seriously and has a sure purpose; Ken's full of sex and greed and power. While the realm of Morpheus brings these desires to life, they are not solely the property of Dream; all of the aforementioned aspirations are created by Desire. When the Fates speak to Rose, they warn her to "beware Dreams and Houses" (The Doll's House 18), because the realm of dreams is where desire takes form and comes to life, where desire becomes reality. Outside of nightmares, Despair does not reside in dreams except in the form of escape and avoidance, and Dream funnels this desire for evasiveness into the appropriate setting.
But although Dream appears as a channel for Desire and Despair, Dream--with the help of Death--also give in to the desires of humanity, those who are truly in control. The abstractions imply at several points in the novel that only through Death do the living gain respite from Desire and Despair, but this is a false notion on their part. After granting immortality (of a sort) to Hob in "Men of Fortune," Morpheus observes the highs and lows of a life free from the fear of death, but also witnesses the pain of humanity when subjected to never-ending life. Hob declares that even Death holds no power when her existence is denied, and in his case this appears to be true, as both Death and Dream allow him to continue on for centuries. When Hob returns centuries later destitute and broken Morpheus inquires as to whether he would like to finally welcome Death: "You still wish to live? Do you not seek the respite of death" (14)? Even then, however, Hob chooses life, his utmost desire. The novel never ends the story of Hob, his tale cut off with yet another meeting with Dream, illustrating that in the end, Desire, Death, and Dream are all just creations of humanity and powerless without its acknowledgment.
