Duality

The concept of duality is closely tied to Kristeva's exploration of abjection. For a person to be abject, he or she must be cast out of something. The obvious duality in the Matrix is the differentiation between the "real world" and the computer simulation maintained by the machines. The boundary between the two worlds is the Construct. The method of movement between the two worlds are the "hard-line" modem connections.

In Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection, Kristeva suggests that humans have two bodies: a real body and a symbolic body. In the case of The Matrix, this dichotomy can be expressed in terms of the body and the mind. In the movie, the majority of humans "live" only within their minds as a function of the matrix. For these people, the boundary is absolutely impregnable. They are completely unaware of the existence of an "outside" or "real world."

For Neo to achieve his messianic fate, he must be able to exist in both worlds. He must find a way to transcend the barrier between the two. Originally, Neo is warned that a person who dies in the matrix also dies in the real world. After all, as Morpheus explains, "the body cannot live without the mind." Despite the barrier between the two worlds, the link is so strong that the mind will cause injuries suffered in the matrix to be manifested in the corporeal world.

But once he begins to accept that he is The One, he can exempt himself from the constraints of the matrix. He can be shot by an agent, appear dead, and yet survive. Part of this power comes from his acceptance of his poetic ideal. But Neo is also empowered by the love of Trinity. The male/female duality plays out in the movie to allow love to act as a redeeming force. Neo, as the male, is destined to be the warrior on the battlefield of the mind. But he cannot act and save his fellow humans without a strong connection to the physical. He must have the emotional component. He must experience the love that only the female half (via Trinity) can provide. One she professes her love and "unifies" heart and mind, Neo can transcend his mental death and defy the agents. In essence, Neo is able to bridge the boundary and create one undivided world. He is able to maintain his life in the physical world and thus revive himself in his mind. Similarly, once his worlds are united, Noe can hear Trinity's scream while still in the matrix and respond.

AbjectionDualityDefilement