The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar by Edgar Allen Poe is a short story in which the narrator vividly describes how he was able to mesmerize M. Valdemar in the final moments of his life, prolonging his impending demise. However, Edgar Allen Poe does something particularly unorthodox with his writing. He only allows us to know the first letter of the characters names, except for M. Ernest Valdemar. Also, Poe italicizes important words, and uses vivid and powerful descriptions. This style of writing forces us to focus on the main character, the storyline itself and allows us to get a clear picture of what is going on in the story. By looking at the lack of full names, italicized words, and detailed descriptions in the short story The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, we are able to focus our attention on foundation of the story which is important because we are able to understand abundance of detail the author uses to describe everything. 

Throughout the short story, we are introduced to a handful of characters. However, we are only given either the first initial, or part of their name. First, the narrator received a note from M. Valdemar that stated “My Dear P—, You may as well come now, D— and F— are agreed that I cannot hold out beyond to-morrow midnight;” (Poe). The author left out all but the first letters of these characters. We can, however, uncover that “P” is the narrator and mesmerist, and “D” and “F” are the physicians of the story. Next, the author introduces a medical student Mr. L—l, who's job is to record everything that happens, exactly how it happens. In this case, we are given the first and last letter of his name.  Poe, the author, left out crucial information when it comes to identifying these characters. The only name we are fully given is that of M. Ernest Valdemar, the dying patient who P— mesmerizes, delaying his forthcoming death for 7 months. The author leaves out the rest of the characters names because it allows us to be able to focus on M. Valdemar’s situation in which he is teeter-tottering between life and death. Poe describes the patients condition in incredible detail, and the lack of names lets the readers focus on those details and get a clear picture of what is going on. It gives the lesser characters a vague identity, forcing the main character, M. Valdemar, to stand out and have our attention drawn to him.  Edgar Allen Poe, leaves out the secondary characters in the short story The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar because forces us to concentrate on the description of the situation and M. Valdemar. 

Along with the omission of full names, the author, Edgar Allen Poe, uses multiple italicized words to emphasize their meaning. For example, when Mr. L—l agrees to take notes on M. Valdemar, he records them in “either condensed or copied verbatim” (69). The word “verbatim” is in italics to remind us that the story is facts, and the facts come straight from the case itself. Additionally, the author uses italics to show significance when the patient says “‘I have been sleeping - and now - now - I am dead’” (71).  Here, the author clarifies M. Valdemar’s past and current condition, and puts emphasis on the bizarreness of the mesmerized state. Similarly, when the mesmeric passes, M. Valdemar “absolutely rotted away beneath [P—‘s] hands” (73). Poe puts prominence on the word “rotted” to explain how the patients body decomposed and describe the gruesomeness of the account. The italicized words, a writing style used by Poe throughout this short story, bring our attention to specific aspects of the story to show their significance.

Furthermore, Poe’s writing style in this short story is able to capture our attention by using vibrant description. This technique gives us a clear image, allowing us to visualize what he is talking about. The narrator, P—, describes M. Valdemar’s mesmerized state by saying his “breathing was gentle (scarely noticeable, unless through the application of a mirror to the lips;) the eyes were closed naturally; and the limbs were as rigid and as cold as marble. Still, the general appearance was certainly not that of death” (70). The way the patient is described, gives the reader an exact image of the condition he is in. This is done in order to get the full ambiance of the story and it allows the readers to put themselves into the plot line and get a feel for what is going on. Likewise, Poe continues to go into immense detail about the patients physical appearance by stating that “the skin generally assumed a cadaverous hue, resembling not so much parchment as white paper” (71). Here, Poe begins to go in detail about M. Valdemar’s appearance as he becomes more decrepit. His use of description here, allows us to understand that the patient is physically deteriorating while he is in the mesmerized state. Finally, Edgar Allen Poe depicts the final condition of the patient “upon the bed, before that whole company, there lay a nearly liquid mass of loathsome — of detestable putrescence” (73). The author uses incredibly descriptive words to describe the horrid and appalling mess that was once the M. Valdemar. Through the use of descriptive words that Poe uses, we are able to vividly follow the patient through his mesmerization 

The short story The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, written by Edgar Allen Poe, tells the story of a patient on the brink of death, who gets mesmerized which prolongs his death. The author only leaves us with the first letter of the characters’ names, except for the main character M. Valdemar. He also chooses specific words to italicize and describes everything in incredible detail. This different form of writing, forces us to forget the identities of the lesser characters and allows us to focus on the detailed situations, and the state the patient is in. Edgar Allen Poe did this specifically to focus our attention on bizarre case of M. Valdemar.