i bought sandman: endless nights, and i am confused on something.

you see Delight throughout the book, but there is no chapter for Delight. Also, I never saw Delerium, though Delight seems to be in Delerium's chapter, which leads me to believe that Delight IS Delerium (which would explain Delight not having her own chapter, and she does seem a bit, well, delierious sometimes)

I'm sorry if it explains Delight/Delerium in the sandman series, but I only read endless nights and preludes & nocturnes, so I'm not far enough in the series to find out.

So.. are delight and delerium the same endless? And if not, could someone explain these two for me?

Delerium was once Delight. The change happened a long time ago, but the reason why hasn't been explained yet. Once you get into Sandman a bit more, you'll notice several tantalizing mysteries like that...

aha! thankyou, now i can rest knowing that i know who delight/delerium is

Hee. Now, the real question : WHY did Delight turn into Delerium? That one's going to keep you up at night.

It's a good question, and a tough one to answer. I don't suppose a specific time for her transformation is ever given, so context is right out the door.
Though it's kind of going for the easy way out, is it acceptable to say that, well, she represents the manic side of life to begin with, could she just do it on a whim? Wake up on day, turn into 37 fish, decide to change your name throughout the universe, then go search the pigpond.
What do you think?

I was wondering if it ever says flat out when the rule was made that no mortal should love an endless.

The story of Delirium in endless nights is half about her and half about that girl who is catatonic like, and in the story the girl is raped and with that delirium and the girl awake from their state.

Though its obvious that this rape isnt what set Delirium into the motion to change(she was delirium when the story began) I always seem to want to believe that someone was so infatuated with Delight, their obsession drove them to rape her and well, you see the rest.

There are slight mentions that really support this, the boy who wants to kiss her and she doesnt want to be touched in Seasons of the Mist seems like a typical reaction to someone who was assaulted sexually and never properly dealt with it.

I like to think that Neil had some brilliance in mind for the moment historically when delight turned to delirium, like the way Destruction abandoned his realm in the midst of the Scientific Revolution. I don't know when it would have been, though. Sometime before the Orpheus story, which might make it a larger metaphor for the some moment in mankind's development.

quote:

Originally posted by phool:
Sometime before the Orpheus story, which might make it a larger metaphor for the some moment in mankind's development.

Oooh! I really, really, really like that thought. The Christian in me is thinking that would tie in really well with the Fall of Man/Expulsion from the Garden/Eve and the Tree of Knowledge. Seeing the truth about humanity and the knowledge of eventual death would be enough to drive anyone from delight to delerium.

neil has stated that at some point if he were to write another sandman story it might be about delight changing to delerium. So HE has some idea vauge or concrete, about that change but he is the only one that knows currrently ....now if i can get my psychic powers tuned just right i might be able to pry it from his head....no no thats much to dangerous ill just wait like the rest of us.

I think he's known all along what it was, if I'm not mistaken. He's just not telling.

Neil definately knows the reason why. He figured out the reason while Jill Thompson was in his presence, and then refused to tell her what it was (according to Jill while on a panel, perhaps at FG). I had heard that he planned to do a Delerium mini series at some point, but not that it would explain that mystery.

Amy: I was thinking about the Fall, too. But now I'm not sure.

Speaking of Delerium: I had always imagined that she had been very different when she was Delight, so it was hilarious to see how similar they were in 'Heart of a Star' (Endless Nights). I'm glad she didn't change that much.

quote:

Originally posted by aitapata:

quote:

Originally posted by phool:
Sometime before the Orpheus story, which might make it a larger metaphor for the some moment in mankind's development.

Oooh! I really, really, really like that thought. The Christian in me is thinking that would tie in really well with the Fall of Man/Expulsion from the Garden/Eve and the Tree of Knowledge. Seeing the truth about humanity and the knowledge of eventual death would be enough to drive anyone from delight to delerium.

Geez. But is she happy in her delirium? Something tragic can change a person (delirious) but can something wonderful make a person delirious too?

I wouldnt say Delirium is happy. THere are some parts where she is really dark and impersonal. I think if anything shes just bi polar, sometimes she comes with some really friendly bright personality and others shes got the black sigil and doesnt want anybody to talk to her.

But why does everyone think something tragic happened to her to change her from Delight?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Junglebum,

quote:

Originally posted by Junglebum:
But why does everyone think something tragic happened to her to change her from Delight?

Because she isnt happy anymore. Not really. Even at her best moments there was darkness in her.

Plus how she says in Season of Mists 'Delight was a long time ago', it suggested to me that she really doesn't want the subject brought up.

She reminds me a bit of Bird from Anansi Boys. A character that was hurt once and they hasn't been the same since... I'd like to read her whole story once.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: chimeer,

I don't mean to disagree that something hurt Delight. I'm sure is was something like that. It's been a long time since I sat down and read the story through. I was just wondering if one could become delirious because of something good happening to them? Does all delirium come from hurt?

I always figured she was disconnected from reality.
To be in a state of constant Delight, you can't exactly see things for what they are. As Delerium, its the same. She sees things the way she wants to, its just not all happy as it once was.
But really, I'm not so much as interested in her past, as I am her future. Destruction did say she had another change coming.