The mind-body divide, or mind-body dualism, was a philosophical theory that gained popularity in the 17th century and flourished thereafter. In this theory, the mind and the body are separate entities, and in literature this meant that men were normally representative of the mind and women were normally representative of the body. An example of this can be seen in Edgar Allan Poe's gothic short story "The Fall of the House of Usher". By analyzing Descartes' idea of ​​mind-body dualism and the later idea of ​​interactionism, it becomes evident that the characters of Roderick and Madeline Usher are representative of the mind and body respectively and influence each other accordingly. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Classically, the idea of ​​mind-body dualism has its origins in the ideas of Plato and Aristotle; However, more modern versions of dualism, known as substance dualism, are more firmly rooted in the Meditations of René Descartes. In this work, he argues that there are “two kinds of substances: matter, the essential property of which is to be spatially extended; and the mind, whose essential property is that it thinks” (Robinson). In simpler terms, Descartes believed that humans possessed a physical, material body and a contemplative mind, both separate from each other. Likewise, because matter and mind are two distinct forms of substance, they can function independently of each other. Descartes said: “Bodies are machines which operate according to their own laws. Except where spirits interfere with it, matter proceeds deterministically, of its own accord” (Robison). Basically, Descartes held that the body and mind can function independently: the mind can think without the help of the body, and the body can function without thought. Descartes' theory of substance dualism eventually transformed into the theory of interactionism. Interactionism relies on the same general principles of substance dualism, but further posits that “mind and body – or mental and physical events – causally influence each other” (Robinson). With interactionism, the mind and body are distinct entities; however, they can also interfere, and therefore influence each other, when necessary. If, as Descartes argues, the mind and the body are two distinct substances, the characters of Roderick and Madeline Usher represent these two characteristics respectively. In Roderick's letter to the narrator, he states that he suffers from a "mental disorder which oppressed him" (Poe 104). Upon arriving home, the narrator learns that Roderick is suffering "from a simple nervous affliction" and that "he suffered greatly from a morbid acuteness of the senses", meaning that all his senses are heightened, causing him to have reactions undesirable to particular scents, sights, sounds, textures, and tastes (Poe 107). Senses are stored in the brain and interpreted by the mind. If all of Roderick's senses are heightened, there is reason to believe that it is a mental problem, or at least a neurological one. Moreover, Roderick is not only prey to a vulnerability of the senses, but also to an ever-increasing terror. He explains to the narrator: “I fear the events of the future, not in themselves, but in their results. I shudder at the thought of any incident, even the most insignificant, which could act on this intolerable agitation of the soul... I feel that the moment will come sooner or later when I will have to abandon all life and all reasontogether, in a certain struggle with the sinister fantasy, FEAR” (Poe 107). Roderick is becoming increasingly paranoid and is fully aware that he may soon lose his mind. This paranoia stems from mental distress and culminates in fear, only causing Roderick even more distress. His paranoia and "acuity of senses" cannot be seen or experienced by anyone other than himself, implying that his illness is entirely mental. Because his illness inhabits his mind rather than his body, Roderick is able to become the physical representation of the mind. Alternatively, Madeline's illness is entirely physical. The narrator states: “Lady Madeline’s illness had long baffled the skills of her physician. An established apathy, a progressive wasting away of the person and frequent, although fleeting, ailments of a partially cataleptic character, were the unusual diagnosis” (Poe 108) and that Madeline has an “illness of a strictly cataleptic character” (Poe 112). . In order to determine the exact nature of his illness, we must delve deeper into the term “cataleptic”. According to Peter Wolf, "epilepsy and catalepsy were not clearly separated in people's minds in the early 19th century, and catalepsy may have been used as a diagnostic euphemism for epilepsy" (288). From this definition of the term, we can deduce that Madeline suffered from frequent seizures. The most notable component of seizures is seizures, which cause uncontrollable shaking or shaking. These seizures are undoubtedly a bodily symptom, since they can be seen and experienced by others. Madeline's "gradual wasting away of the person" and her tendencies to convulse lend themselves to the idea that Madeline's illness is entirely in the body, allowing her to represent the body as Roderick represents the mind. Roderick and Madeline represent the mind and the body respectively. , asserting itself as an example of substance dualism; however, Roderick's state after Madeline's burial introduces the idea of ​​interactionism. Almost immediately after Madeline is buried, Roderick begins to change dramatically: And now, a few days of bitter grief having passed, an observable change has taken place in the characteristics of my friend's mental disorder. His ordinary manners were gone. His ordinary occupations were neglected or forgotten. He went from room to room with hasty, uneven and aimless steps. The pallor of his face had taken on, if possible, a more horrible shade – but the brightness of his eyes had completely disappeared. The occasional hoarseness of his tone was no longer heard; and a tremulous tremor, as if from extreme terror, usually characterized his declaration. (Poe 112) Whether because he doesn't know how to function without his twin or perhaps suspects she isn't dead, Roderick literally begins to go crazy. With the body trapped and decaying in a tomb, the spirit is driven to act accordingly. His "nervous affliction" continues to worsen and is reflected in both his actions and his appearance. As time passes, Roderick's mental state begins to deteriorate even more. In the final pages of the story, the narrator and Roderick begin to hear screams and squeaking noises, and the narrator states, "I saw that his lips were trembling as if he were whispering inaudibly." His head had fallen to his chest – and yet I knew he wasn't asleep, by the wide, rigid opening of his eye as I saw him in profile. The movement of his body was also at odds with this idea – as he swayed from side to side with a gentle but constant sway and.