Death is the end of one's life, the culmination of one's previous years in a single, almost imperceptible moment.  Throughout the ages, death has always been feared and the mere glimmer of hope that one may be able to elude death has pushed people to many extremes.  "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" by Edgar Allen Poe shows what happens when one man attempts to defy the circle of life [Let your reader know that you are referring to the narrator and not necessarily Valdemar who spoke "calmly of his approaching dissolution, as a matter neither to be avoided nor regretted," though he does seem excited by the prospect of being mesmerized].  Throughout the course of the story, we are able to see the "dissolution" (13) of a Mr. M. Valdemar as he tries to elude the steely grips of death, suffering mental and physical deterioration along the way in the form of a most gruesome demise. "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" expresses unequivocally the inevitability of death and how the attempts to thwart ones "dissolution" results in a more gruesome demise of not only the body, but also the mind. 

From the beginning, Dr. P - - does not try to conceal the fact that his is looking for a way to elude death.  While his intentions may at first appear to be scientific, it soon becomes clear that Dr. P - - is interested in only one thing, his curiosity burns to know "to what extent, or for how long a period, the encroachments of Death might be arrested by the process," (13).  The process to which he is referring is the act of mesmerizing someone "in articulo mortis", or at the moment of death.  Dr. P - - wishes to study this "very remarkable and most unaccountable omission" (13) to determine if there is a way to avoid death, the one thing in life that is certain no matter who you are.  The "immensely important character of its consequences" (13) hint that what Dr. P - - is really looking for is not advancement in the scientific community, but for a way that he might be able to avoid death altogether or at least prolong life.  

Hope is one of the many things that can keep people going in the face of difficult times, but in some cases it is the source of a long and arduous battle when one hopes to avoid something as inevitable of death.  In the case of M. Valdemar, we see a man whose mental stability is deteriorated by hope.  Hope that is given to him by the possibility of prolonging his life or possibly avoiding death all together.  When we meet M. Valdemar, we are introduced to a man that had been sick for "some months" (14).  He is well aware of his impending death and "spoke calmly of his approaching dissolution, as a matter neither to be avoided nor regretted" (14).  We are introduced to a man that has accepted his fate and is mentally prepared to die.  [Good!]

This attitude changes when Dr. P - - gives M. Valdemar a way out, a way to avoid his "approaching dissolution" (13).  As the moment of his death comes nearer, M. Valdemar becomes "quite willing even anxious" (15) to begin the mesmerization process. [The narrator also says that Valdemar's "interest seemed vividly excited" (14)]  The man who once viewed his death as something to "neither be avoided nor regretted" (14) is now desperate to do what he thinks will hinder his impending demise.  His "urgent entreaties" (15) prop Dr. P-  - to hasten the mesmerization process.  

Once mesmerized, we see the return of the calm, cool and collected M. Valdemar. He is ready for death.  While under the spell of mesmerization Valdemar seems almost at peace with what is happening.  He is at rest, "asleep now" (17).  When questioned by Dr. P - - he utters statements such as "Do not wake me! - let me die so!" (17). Valdemar is ready to die he feels "no pain" (17) and has once again accepted his fate.  

So far, we have seen M. Valdemar swing back and forth between accepting his fate and fighting it.  However at the moment of his death, he is no longer in a peaceful state.  Amongst yells of "Dead! Dead!" (19) we are shown that once again M. Valdemar is fighting his natural demise.  When he is awoken from his seven month long mesmerization it is clear that M. Valdemar is no longer at peace.  "For Gods Sake! - quick! - quick! - put me to sleep - or, quick! - waken me! - quick! - I say to you that I am dead" (19). These are not the words of a peaceful man, these are the words of a man that is struggling and unhappy with where he is, whether that be alive or dead.  He no longer cares if he is awoken or put back to sleep; he just doesn't want to be where he is, and with this we are able to see the culmination of the mental deterioration of M. Valdemar.  The man who started out neither rejecting nor fearing his death is now yelling incoherently. His death which would have been uneventfully peaceful had it occurred naturally has turned into a scene from a horror movie.  This [vague antecedent: what does "This" point back to?] shows the inevitability of death and how the act of attempting to elude it not only fails but also backfires and damages the mind, making peace impossible.

Not only does this deterioration happen to the mind, but also to the body.  When a person dies a normal death, they pass away quietly, almost imperceptibly, sort of like drifting to sleep [not always, so qualify this claim].  In the case of M. Valdemar, however, the moment of death is not so peaceful.  In a group of people where "no member of the party then present had been unaccustomed to death-bed horrors" (17), [be clear that the previous quote comes from his "death" while still tranquilly mesmerized..not the ultimate death and dissolution at story's end.] M. Valdemar's death caused a "general shrinking back from the region of the bed." If his death were to occurred naturally, I doubt this horror would have happened.  It was the act of trying to avoid death that made death that much worse to the obserevers.  

Death is made worse not only for the observers, but also for M. Valdemar himself.  While under mesmerization, M. Valdemar may appear to be in no physical pain.  When he is awoken that is reversed. When a person normally dies, their physical appearance is not too different.  There may be a loss of color or a general stiffness of the body, but it is still recognizable.  In the case of M. Valdemar, however, his body become unrecognizable.  When he is awoken from his mesmerized state, M. Valdemar immediately begins to disintegrate into a "nearly liquid mass of loathsome - of detestable putrescence" (19).  This most certainly would not have happened had M. Valdemar and Dr. P - - let his death run its natural course.  Their intervention caused a natural occurring life event to become a gruesome, horrific scene.

One certain fact of life is that death is inevitable.  Any attempts to avoid death will not only fail but also cause physical and mental deterioration.  M. Valdemar experienced this with his mental and physical deterioration as a result of trying to avoid or delay death. "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" expresses unequivocally the inevitability of death and how the attempts to thwart ones "dissolution" results in a more gruesome demise of not only the body, but also the mind.

Nicole, this is a very good first draft. Your are especially good at weaving quotes from the story into your analysis.Very well done. Three suggestions. First, be clear in your introduction that you primarily mean P-- as the one who tries to defy death, though you should add a brief hint that Valdemar seems to do so too. Second, in your analysis of P-'s motives, see if you can find more textual evidence that supports your claim that P-'s commitment to science and its advancement is really just a front for his desire to prolong life. Finally, your conclusion seems to merely restate the introduction. Instead, let your readers know what the pay-offs of your interpretation are.
