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littledreamling · 2 years

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An Analysis of Power Dynamics Through the Ages (Part 1)

Part 1 | Part 2

Okay I said I'd do it and I can't sleep so here's my interpretation of the power dynamics in very date centennial meeting between Hob and Dream. Please keep in mind that I'm not an expert on historical clothing, psychology, body language, or literally anything I'm talking about here, it's just what I'm getting based on vibes and the little research I'm willing to do for this post. This is also not a shipping post. Nothing in this will about Hob and Dream in a romantic context; this is entirely about the exchange of power and control between the two of them as characters. Anyway, without further ado, part 1:

1389

The very first meeting. Let's start with clothes. Hob is dressed in the standard of the time; dark cloak covering about four months worth of dirt and grime (bath houses were common in the 1300's, but he was a soldier, and many of the bath houses were nothing more than fronts for prostitution), long hair, even longer (and dirtier) beard. He's not looking his best and he's not trying to, he's just out for a pint with his friends. Dream, on the other hand, is dressed to the nines; a buttoned-up, dark coat that looks tailored to him, especially in the shoulders (the fact that it has defined shoulders alone sets him apart from about 90% of the tavern's patrons). His collar is high, covering about half of his neck; he's already exuding an air of secrecy. He has a big ass ruby around his neck, definitely the biggest Hob or any of his friends have ever seen. He looks rich. He looks like royalty.

And then we move on to what actually happens. For starters, Dream walks up to Hob, he's the one to initiate the conversation. He's standing while Hob is sitting; he literally has the high ground. He has the ability to look down on Hob while Hob has to crane his neck to look him in the face, especially because Dream stands so close to their table. He even tilts his head back slightly to look down his nose at Hob and his friends. It's very obvious who's in power in this situation and it's not Hob. Add in the fact that Dream has a wealth on information that Hob doesn't, both at the beginning and end of the interaction, and he has control over every facet of this conversation.

1489

The second meeting. They're on more even ground. They're both sitting, which automatically levels the playing field, and they're dressed very similarly, both in cloaks of similar cut, though Dream's is far more tailored than Hob's and is (of course) black, compared to Hob's standard and signature brown (as a side note, if you don't think brown is Hob's symbolic color, please go back and re-watch it because the color brown, symbolizing steadfastness and dependability, is his constant companion). Hob is dressed nicer than he was in 1389; he has a real job now, down at the print shop, and it may not pay much, but it can afford him some comforts that 1389 Hob Gadling didn't have. He probably spent hours painstakingly getting dressed that day, weighing whether or not he was actually going to show up at the White Horse, whether or not the mysterious stranger was actually going to show up too. The outfit he has on is probably the nicest one he has. Still, Dream is dressed far better. His cloak is open, revealing his plain black shirt underneath, and his collar is much lower than in 1389; he's prepared, at least a little bit, to open up to this human.

We don't see who approached who for this meeting, but in terms of body language, Dream still has the high ground. He's sitting up straight in his chair, giving him several inches over Hob, who is slouched, out of confusion and apprehension at first, then out of relaxation as he slowly relays the past 100 years to this stranger. Dream sort of shows his hand a bit (little playing card pun, just to make 1489 Hob happy) by leaning forward, mirroring Hob as he draws out the suspense before gushing about new advances in technology, showing how eager he is to hear about Hob's experiences. This is about the closest that Hob gets to having power during this meeting. Dream, then (again), is the first one to leave; he stands immediately after getting his answer (Hob's little breathless "oh, yes" gets me every time) and confirms their next meeting from that place of power. He also still has (and always will have, even right up until 2022) the high ground in terms of knowledge, though he's given a few scraps to Hob during this meeting, at least enough to assuage Hob's poor Catholic anxieties. He even walks away without answering Hob's final question, proving once and for all that he, once again, decidedly has control over the situation.

1589

The third meeting. This one is probably going to be the weirdest one, not because they share power, not even close, but because Hob is so powerful in every other area of his life yet so desperate to hold that same power (or at least, for the first time, be on the same playing field) during his meeting with Dream that it creates an odd dynamic. But first, clothes. This is the first time we see Hob in something other than brown and it makes sense; he's lost some of his steadfastness, some of his groundedness (that's not a word, but if Will Shaxberd can make up words, so can I). Instead, Hob is wearing gold, highlighting the main focus of this meeting, his fortune. He's done well for himself, exceedingly well. He has a nice haircut and a well-groomed beard and a pierced ear (if you missed it the first time, go back and watch; your life will be infinitely better when you realize that almost every single character in the 1589 scene has a pierced ear). He's looking good and he knows it. He's dressed to impress. His collar is high, higher than we've ever seen, and maybe it's the style of the age, but it screams fake and indeed, this is the fakest we ever see Hob. He's completely buttoned up, not a single inch of skin showing save his face and hands, which are often behind his back, and almost every move is designed to give an air of elegance and sophistication, the same air that his stranger has been exuding since they met. Likewise, Dream is also very sleek-looking. The first thing to notice is that he's wearing all leather (which is... a choice), and it's very tight leather, too (again... a choice). His hair is slicked back, showing more of his face than Hob has seen before, and his collar is a little higher than in 1489, though still lower than 1389.

What strikes me immediately about this meeting is that, as soon as Hob sees Dream, he stands and calls out "my friend!" and Dream responds to it. He doesn't protest to being called Hob's friend (I'll get back to this when I talk about 1889, because we all know where that particular train of though is going). Anyway, Hob calling Dream his friend is yet another attempt to even the field; he wants to be friends, he wants to be seen as an equal to this stranger. In this time, he thinks he is. He's a knight for God's sake! The standing, too, is important. This meeting actually starts with both of them standing, and Hob pulls out Dreams chair for him. It's a show of friendship, but also of subtle deference. And then, when Dream sits down, Hob (and I can't emphasize this enough) stays standing. He stays standing. It's the only time we ever see Hob standing over Dream. Hob also bows to Dream, though it's a sort of mocking bow, not one that Hob would actually use in the face of royalty. It's a bow designed to show off, especially as he does it at the same time that he introduces himself with his full (knighted) title. It's a very clear shift in their power dynamic and Hob is almost immediately given a slap on the wrist for it. Notice how I say almost immediately, though, because for a second, Dream almost seems to be amused by it, as though he can't believe this human would deign to presume himself on the same level as Dream of the Endless (never mind that Hob has no idea who he is). From the very beginning of the meeting, Hob flaunts his wealth. He mentions the expensive wine, his knighthood, and shows a blatant ignorance for those beneath him (the 1500s weren't a good time to be a peasant in England, yet he acts as if everyone on Earth has liquid gold pouring through their fingers. He seems to have forgotten where he came from, or maybe he thinks he's outgrown the grime and grit of poverty, and he gets an exponentially worse slap on the wrist for that, too). He's focused solely on himself because he's proud of himself and he wants his stranger to be proud of him too. Even after he sits down, after getting on Dream's level, he's still pushing that wealth and status; he tries to get Dream to eat (and for the first time, there's food on the table. Lots of food, yet again showcasing his fortune), he calls for the servant to get more wine with a callousness that I think modern-day Hob would cringe enormously at, and almost his entire recounting of the last century revolves around money. He's a bit rude and Dream is rude right back; he goes so far as to quiet Hob with little more than a raised hand and Hob complies, revealing probably more than he wished to about exactly where he lies in the social hierarchy with Dream.

I could go on for at least two more paragraphs about this meeting because it has such complexities, especially regarding Hob's mention of his family and how he had always dreamed of a heaven like this, but this is getting long, so I'll cut it short. Dream, as always, is the first to leave, rather memorably, to spend the rest of the evening with Will Shaxberd, therefore reasserting his power over the situation. He's quite literally saying "I set the terms for these meetings and they end exactly when I say they do." Interestingly, this is also the first meeting where he doesn't ask Hob whether he wants to keep living or not, but I don't really think he has to; the answer is plain and clear in front of him. Hob has everything he wants and more. There's nowhere to go but up.

1689

The fourth meeting. Ah, 1689, my beloved. For the first time (that we know of) Dream is the first to arrive for their meeting. Hob keeps him waiting (and by the tone of the woman who talks to Dream right before Hob arrives, he's been waiting for a while), which would've been a show of power, if not for the... waves hand vaguely at the rest of the scene. But first, of course, clothes. Dream is dressed nicely, as always, in his all black. His cloak is buttoned at the very top and his collar is high again. Like always, his clothes are well-fitting and clean, a contrast that has never been more stark, especially after Hob shows up (and what an entrance it is). He's back to his long hair, let loose without any ribbons or ties. His clothes are also looser than the leather (but let's be real, anything would've been looser than the leather). The entire ensemble is much more relaxed, much more real. And then Hob walks in. I won't even talk about Hob's clothes because he's literally in tatters. His clothes are little more than scraps hanging off of his body. There's absolutely no questioning who appears to have more power here.

This is immediately confirmed by the start of their conversation. The only reason that Hob is even let into the White Horse is because Dream allows him to be. He commands the staff to let him in, filthy as he may be. Dream has absolute control here; the meeting wouldn't have taken place at all if he didn't wish it. Hob tries to regain some sense of dignity as he approaches the table, but (I have to emphasize) he's wearing tatters. There's not much he can do to help that, and he responds (at least at first) with anger. He's trying desperately to regain something, anything, and he knows he's failing. So he gives up. He knows his stranger is watching him, judging him, but he's to the point where he doesn't care. He's too hungry, too thirsty, too tired to care. He then has to go through the humiliation of admitting that he lost everything he'd been so proud of during their last meeting. It's the ultimate humbling of Hob Gadling. He has nothing, not even his pride. And while it's clear that Dream has all of the power, it's softened by his sympathy for Hob, perhaps the first time he's had any empathy for this human at all. You can actually see his heart break a little bit at the thought that Hob would crave death, that this might be their last meeting. Likewise, you can see his utter fascination at Hob's steadfast dedication to living because while Hob might've lost everything, he never lost his hope. We don't see the end of this meeting, so we don’t know who left first (or, as I've seen many joke, who paid the bill, because it sure wasn't Hob), but I think it's safe to assume that Dream has the very clear control here. (Another sidenote, Hob's "Now can we order? Because I'm about to eat the fucking table." kills me every single time, 10/10 line delivery, Ferdie)

1789

The fifth meeting. The sluttiest meeting. For this meeting, Dream and Hob are dressed incredibly similarly. Dream, in his customary all black with his hair tied back, is vaguely reminiscent of his 1589 leather ensemble; very tidy, very buttoned-up. Hob is also wearing black (for the first time) with gold accents, perhaps a nod to his prioritizing wealth over his usual reliability and care for his fellow man, and his hair is also tied up. For once, in their sartorial choices, Hob and Dream are evenly matched. Neither of them is trying to impress the other, at least no more than the other.

Their body positions are interesting in this scene because they're not actually facing each other. In fact, they're tilted slightly towards each other, but for the most part, they're both facing the door (probably to make the fight choreography a little easier, but still). Every look they give each other is out of the corner of their eyes. They also have a private room, which is less about either of them having power over the other and more about both of them having power over everyone else at the White Horse (can anyone from the good omens fandom say "we're on our on side now" with me? because that's the vibe I'm getting here). For the first half or so of this meeting, I'd even go so far as to say that this is the closest to even ground as Hob and Dream have ever gotten, right up until Dream gives his opinion on Hob's line of business (everyone say "thank you, Dream"), which definitely reads as slightly condescending, even if it is warranted. I think it's the first time he genuinely judges Hob for his decisions, going so far as to offer him advice to change his path. There's a definite shift in the dynamic towards Dream in that moment, especially as he uses Hob's full name in his chastisement. Hob then, of course (as everyone does when they're feeling judged), gets defensive, but quickly backs down in the face of Dream's logic. Changing the subject is an olive branch, even if it is to a slightly touchy subject. Hob is trying to regain some footing here, and it works, right up until he runs smack into the brick wall that is Dream's inability to give out even a single morsel of information about himself. And then Johanna Constantine rudely interrupts and all hell breaks loose. But even still, the power dynamic is rather evident. Hob keeps glancing at Dream, gauging his reactions, using him as a guide for his own level of involvement in the skirmish. And as soon as he deems it necessary to fight, he defends Dream. That's important. He doesn't defend himself, he defends Dream. For a soldier turned knight, that's the ultimate act of deference, to put himself in danger in the defense of someone else. And then Dream uses his powers and once again asserts his power in the situation; he didn't need Hob's help, but he liked having Hob's help. It's important here to note that Dream is the one to end the meeting (despite Hob's request to find another tavern) but they both leave at the same time. Neither of them is left behind; they're quite literally in-step. (It's also the first time that Dream refers to the two of them as a "we" and shows concern for Hob's well-being, a vulnerability that he's never shown before).

And because this post is getting out of hand length-wise, there's a part 2

#is it an interesting read? probably not lmao #but I spent a lot of time on it #and I’m very proud of it #normally I'd add a bunch of tags to this #but I put almost every thought I had in the body of the post #so I don't have much more to say #to be continued...#the sandman #sandman netflix #dream of the endless #morpheus #hob gadling #sandman neil gaiman #neil gaiman

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