Roderick and Madeleine, as twins, are part of an enigmatic and not entirely understood group of individuals. Twin siblings have demonstrated through research that they share a tremendous psychological connection, and some even dare say that this connection transcends the physical world.
Evidence of this is found in the story in the words of the narrator:
A striking similitude between the brother and sister now first arrested my attention; and Usher, divining, perhaps, my thoughts, murmured out some few words from which I learned that the deceased and himself had been twins, and that sympathies of a scarcely intelligible nature had always existed between them.
In their case, Roderick can sense the feelings and emotions of Madeline, who is in a catatonic state for reasons that we can only speculate. Yet Roderick feels that Madeline "walks about." Since they are indeed twins it makes it seem almost possible that the two, sharing such a rare genetic uniqueness, are also able to establish communication telepathically.
Therefore, the twin connection is a clever way to add enigma to the character of Roderick. That the twins are born to a family with a genetic predisposition to self-destruction makes the problem of the story all the more tragic.
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