The Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) examined the psychological aspects of “The Sandman” in his 1919 essay “The Uncanny,” suggesting that the fear created by such stories comes from a blending of both the familiar and the unfamiliar. For instance, Coppola is Coppelius, but he also is not. Freud paid special attention to the concept of doubles, such as situations that often repeat themselves, the idea of things being both familiar and unfamiliar, and the symbolism of eyes. Freud also believed that the repeated fear of eyes popping out represented a latent fear of castration and sexual frustration. Other critics disputed Freud’s analysis.

Jungian scholars, adherents to the work of Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung (1875-1961), have suggested that “The Sandman,” and other works of Hoffmann, were more indicative of quest stories and attempts to gain a better understanding of the self and the larger world.

At the time it was published, “The Sandman” would have been considered Gothic fiction, which generally focuses on supernatural phenomena. In retrospect, “The Sandman” can be considered an early horror and science fiction story, published before these became labels for genres of literature. While modern readers are familiar with the concept of automatons, the idea of robots so lifelike that they could pass for real human beings demonstrates a fear of what unknowns might emerge through scientific progress, a common theme of modern science fiction.