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Freud discussed Hoffman's The Sandman in his own work, "The 'Uncanny'," illuminating the positive and negative oedipal themes in the novella. Mahlendorf criticizes Freud for disregarding the fact that the protagonist, Nathanael, is an artist. In her view, Hoffman makes the oedipal situation a crucial factor in
Nathanael's artistic development. It is the irritant that impels him toward ego mastery through creation. In childhood, this is expressed through play and adventure; in adulthood, through poetry and physics.