Characterization
Gadling, like Element Girl, is one of several humans in The Sandman series who do not age.
By 1989 Gadling will come to regret his involvement in the Atlantic slave trade, an occupation Morpheus advised him to forgo centuries before; having apologized repeatedly to his 20th century girlfriend in "Sunday Mourning", he is told by Gwen to drop the subject. When he responds "You can't just forget about it", she answers "Sure you can, Robbie. You know how? You just forget about it", echoing the structure of Gadling's own earlier thoughts on death in "Men of Good Fortune": "The only reason people die, is because everyone does it. You all just go along with it. It's rubbish, death. It's stupid. I don't want anything to do with it."
Read more about this topic: Hob Gadling