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.