Themes

The main themes of the short story “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” by Edgar Allan Poe are the inevitability of death and the horrific results of pseudo-science. These themes are enhanced with the motifs of mesmerism and tuberculosis.

Inevitability of death

The main theme and message of the short story are that death is inevitable. Regardless of human efforts to avoid or postpone this moment, no one can truly escape death. In the short story, a dying man, M. Valdemar is willing to resort to pseudo-science and occult experiments so that he lives longer.

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The horrific results of pseudo-science

Another important theme in the short story is that of pseudo-science and its negative, even gruesome effects. The short story focuses on mesmerism. This refers to the technique which uses magnetism to heal patients by restoring the natural flow of their body liquids.

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Motifs

Two motifs are very relevant to the story and help enhance its message and put it into perspective; that of tuberculosis or phthisis and that of mesmerism. M. Valdemar suffers from tuberculosis and is about to die because this disease was fatal in the 1840s. This motif contributes to the theme of the inevitability of death. It further shows that, despite the medical progress that can cure some diseases, there are still fatal ailments which people cannot fight back.

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