| Basic Concepts: The "Affinity" and
the "Alter Ego"
A popular concept in the 19th century was the idea of “affinity.” It is a primary element in the theory of “the Natural System,” a “notion of the order in living diversity.” As a “core element” of the “Natural System,” affinity refers to the attractions of similar elements. . The “alter ego” refers to the opposite personality that exists as a complement to each person. . In popular psychology of the early nineteenth century, “affinity” comes to refer to one’s “soul mate.” It was the belief that in every individual’s period of life that there exists that one person who has been “assigned” to him or her as an intended spouse and without whose companionship one’s life is incomplete. It is one’s destiny, therefore, to seek out that “affinity” to assure ultimate harmony and completeness in this life. . Online Resources For an introduction to “affinity” in the context of the theory of the “Natural System,” see Robert J. O’Hara’s “Representation of the Natural System in the Nineteenth Century.” . Our Course Connections The “affinity” concept is addressed in Poe’s Gothic tales and poetry, particularly in those stories like “Fall of the House of Usher” and “Ligeia” in which the male character loses his sister or wife, or in “Ulalume” where the deceased wife returns as a vision to call her soul mate to reunion. Both the alter ego and affinity are burlesqued in the nineteenth-century literary humor of Artemus Ward and Josh Billings. .  |