In the short story by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Facts of the Case of M. Valdemar, "death is an ever-present theme-- specifically, its inevitability. This theme consists of several smaller ideas, including human's desire to escape death, but no matter what humans do to attempt to escape death, death is inevitable in the end. Another important theme is experimental science and medicine, and how both can produce horrifying results. A final important theme explored in this short story is the idea that the mind and body are separate entities. It is through these three themes working in unison that Poe is able to prove the point that in spite of all the efforts of human pseudoscience, death is and will always be inevitable. 

Initially, the audience is led to consider the possibility that death may be cheated by mesmerism when the narrator expresses that "no person had as yet been mesmerized en articulo mortis" (13). The author poses this statement as an idea and object of curiosity, which leads the audience to believe that there is a possibility that in the end death could be cheated by mesmerism. The excitement and curiosity of not only the narrator, but also the patient, to explore and test out this theory is definitely penetrated into the reader. The author writes, "I spoke to him frankly upon the subject; and to my surprise, his interest seemed vividly excited."(13) This shows that the patient is eager to be a subject of the experiment and it gives the patient, and the reader a sense of hope and confidence in the experiment. The author also portrays the excitement of the patient when he explains that "he still professed himself quite willing and even anxious to have it made, and urged me to commence it at once." (14) At this point in the story, the patient, the hypnotist, and the reader all share a sense of excitement and curiosity about the experiment. 

Another important theme is that scientific experimentation can lead to horrifying results (Cummings, Study Guide):

As I rapidly made the mesmeric passes, amid ejaculations of "dead! Dead!" absolutely bursting from the tongue and not from the lips of the sufferer, his whole frame at once-within the space of a single minute, or even less, shrunk-crumbled-absolutely rotted away beneath my hands. Upon the bed, before that whole company, there lay a nearly liquid mass of loathsome-of detestable putridity. (19)

This quote suggests that sometimes experiments in science can turn out horribly wrong. The author also says "for what really occurred, however, it is quite impossible that any human being could have been prepared." (19) This really drives the point that science experiments can go so horribly, that no human can truly be prepared for what could happen. This happens in real life as well, especially when searching for cures to diseases. 

The story switches themes when the narrator attempts to wake up the mesmerized patient. After seven months of being in the trance, Valdemar responds to a question asked by the narrator. In desperation and panic, Valdemar says, "For God's sake! -Quick! -Quick! -Put me to sleep -or, quick! -Waken me! -quick! -I say to you that I am dead!" (19). At this point of the story, it is clear that death is inevitable.  Despite all the efforts of the narrator to overcome the patient's illness with mesmerism, in the end the patient is desperate to die. The patient was frantically begging the hypnotist to end the experiment by either awakening him or putting him to sleep. In the beginning of the story, the patient seemed eager to be a part of the experiment. The patient, the narrator, and the audience were hopeful that the experiment of hypnosis and mesmerism would prove successful.  At this point though, when the patient is in a state of utter desperation, it is proved that death is inevitable, and that scientific experiments meant to help can go horribly wrong.	

The separation of body and mind is a huge theme in the story. Even after the narrator can no longer move the patient's limbs through mesmerism, and his body is physically stiff and cold, as if it was dead, his mind is alive and he is still trying to communicate. His tongue quivers in an attempt to answer the narrator's questions. More specifically, as the body is disintegrating, the tongue is last to disappear and it continues to shriek "dead!" (19).  This suggests that some form of his soul might still be alive in a further, unknown place, therefore proving the separation of mind and body. 

Death is evident in all aspects of the story. Its pervasiveness emphasizes how humankind tries to escape death, but how in the end death can never really be escaped because it is inevitable for all humans. The story also places a strong emphasis on how science and experiments can turn out horribly wrong. The author uses an element of curiosity on the narrator's part to explore the possible effects of experimenting with mesmerism on a dying patient, and an element of hope for the reader and for the patient that the experiment of mesmerism might cheat death. It is through these themes, which are all connected to death in different ways, that the author is able to create an overall tone of darkness, and maintain the readers attention throughout the story.  

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar." The American Review. 

"The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar." Cummings Study Guide. Cummings Study Guides, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.

Wang, Bella. Jordan Reid Berkow ed. "Poe&rsquo;s Short Stories Study Guide: The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar Summary and Analysis". GradeSaver, 29 July 2009 Web. 7 December 2014.


