"Dream Children" is the reverie of a man who was intensely human and

whose life was a tragedy. Lamb was born into a poor family, but poverty was not
such a great misfortune as certain other misfortunes that befell him. Following an
unsuccessful love affair with Ann Simmons, he became mentally unhinged and had
to remain for some time in a lunatic asylum. In the following year, his sister was
seized with acute mania and in a fit of madness stabbed her mother to death. Lamb
displayed an admirable self-mastery, and exhibited a supreme self-sacrifice by
undertaking the responsibility for the safe keeping of his sister who became prone
to occasional fits of Lunacy. His essential humanity appears in this noble self-
renunciation and singular loyalty as a brother. He sacrificed his own comfort and
convenience for his sister's sake and was forced to give up the idea of marriage for
some time for her sake, again, he had to leave London and go to the quiet
countryside. He was thus deprived of the stimulating society of his literary friends
to whom he used to give a monthly "at home". This deepened his listlessness and
hopelessness. When he did think of marriage, with the full consent of his sister, his
proposal to Fanny Kelly an actress, was rejected, and he remained a bachelor
throughout his life. Thus was his life a tragedy.
Such was the man that wrote this essay which is highly moving, almost
heart-rending, being imbued with the tragedy of his life. He gives a concrete shape
to his unfulfilled paternal longings. This essay is a reverie because it contains a
fanciful or imaginary account. Of his talk with the children whom he never had and
who, therefore, have been called "dream children". Alice and John are the
imaginary off - spring of his imaginary marriage with Ann Simmons whom he had
loved in his youth but who had not responded to his love. Pathos is the key note of
this essay.
"Here the children fell a - crying, and asked if their little mourning which
they had on was not for uncle John, and they looked up, and prayed me not to go
on about their uncle, but to tell them some stories about their pretty dead mother.
Then I told how for seven long years, in hope sometimes, sometimes in despair, yet
persisting ever, I courted the fair Alice W - n."
Here in these lines Lamb told the children something about their uncle John L -
John L was a handsome and courageous youth and was very fond of riding and
hunting. Then Lamb spoke of John L's death. At this the children began to cry and
requested their father not to tell them anything more about Uncle John but to tell
them some stories about their pretty dead mother. Then Lamb told them how for
seven long years he had courted the fair Alice W - N. Sometimes in hope and
sometimes in despair. As Lamb gazed at his children, he found that both of them
gradually grew fainter, and then receded till he could see nothing but two sad
features which appeared to be saying "We are not of Alice, nor of thee, nor are we
children at all, "And Lamb woke up in his bachelor chair where he had fallen
asleep and had been day - dreaming.
The end of the essay is marked by deep poignancy and heart breaking
pathos. We are told how Lamb courted Alice W-N (Ann Simmons) for a long time
without any success in his purpose. And then the dream children begin slowly to
fade. They grow gradually fainter to Lamb's view and go on receding till only two
mournful faces are in distinctly seen in the distance; saying; "we are not of Alice,
nor of thee, nor are we children at all. We are only what might have been". This is
the climax of pathos. We are deeply touched by the utter frustration of Lamb's
hopes of a conjugal life and the Joys of having a family.
This essay is full of reminiscences and anecdotes as he recalls the lonely life
of his grandma and then goes on to recall his memories of his own early boyhood.
Recollections of his brother John. The retrospective character of this essay is,
therefore, clearly seen. Lamb had a genius for reminiscence. He liked to chew the
cud of memory. It is for this reason that he has been called "a visualizer of
memories". This is essentially an autobiographical essay.

We could also say that The theme of Lamb's “Dream Children: A Reverie” is
regret and loss: regret for unfulfilled joy, unfulfilled love, lost hope, lost
opportunity and lost joys of life.

The first of these is the loss of past happiness as represented by the house--with its
carved mantle that a "foolish rich person pulled ... down"--and by great-
grandmother Field and by the speaker's brother John.

Both great-grandmother Field and John died painful deaths while Charles Lamb
watched on being then left alone without their presence, love and care: what he
missed most was their presence: "I missed him all day long, and knew not till then
how much I had loved him."

The second topic describing regret and loss is his beloved Alice. Lamb courted her
"for seven long years" and, in the end, his suit for her love was a failure. This
explains why the dream child is named Alice and this explains why he becomes
confused about which Alice, younger or elder, he is really looking at.

This leads to the third thematic topic: the children who never were. In a surprise
ending, in a dramatic twist, we learn that the children he has been telling stories to-
-stories of loves and life-joys he regrets losing--are air, are a figment of a dream in
a bachelor's sleep.