Enn315-Turn of the Screw

Henry James's Turn of the Screw was written in a time when open sexuality was looked down upon. On the surface, the story is simply about a governess taking care of two children who are haunted by two ghosts. However, the subtext of the story is about the governess focusing on the children's innocence, and the governess trying to find her own sexual identity. Priscilla L. Walton wrote a gender criticism themed essay about the Turn of the Screw, which retells certain parts of the story and touches on the significance they provide for the sexually explicit theme. Walton's essay is accurate because James purposely put an undertone of sexuality and identity confusion in the Turn of the Screw.

     Henry James was one of the famous writers during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was known as an innovative and independent novelist. One of James' novels, The Turn of the Screw (1898), has caused a lot of controversy among many critics, and each of them has had a particular interpretation. James' creative writing built a close connection between his novel and his readers. The reactions of the readers toward The Turn of the Screw can be researched psychologically by analyzing how James developed his story using questionable incidents, an unreliable narrator, unexpected changes, an interesting prologue, and effective images and words.

One of the most critically discussed works in twentieth-century American literature, The Turn of the Screw has inspired a variety of critical interpretations since its publication in 1898. Until 1934, the book was considered a traditional ghost story. Edmund Wilson, however, soon challenged that view with his assertions that The Turn of the Screw is a psychological study of the unstable governess whose visions of ghosts are merely delusions. Wilson’s essay initiated a critical debate concerning the interpretation of the novel, which continues even today (Poupard 313). Speculation considering the truth of the events occurring in The Turn of the Screw depends greatly on the reader’s assessment of the reliability of the governess as a

In the governess's insane pseudo-reality and through her chilling behavior, she managed to bring downfall to Flora and Miles, the children of Bly. With compulsively obsessive actions, irrational assumptions, and demented hallucinations, the governess perceived ghosts bearing evil intentions were attempting to corrupt and destroy the children she had taken the role of care for. In reality, the governess herself brought tragedy to the children through her own selfishness and insanity.

Interpreting The Turn of the Screw by Henry James from a Marxist point of view brings about serious social class distinctions and consequences of violation within that code. Miles and the unnamed Governess’ relationship demonstrate the wrongdoing of social and legal norms. The Governess’ indeterminate social status leave her as a forbidden woman in Victorian society taking on the role of primary caretaker to children, while Miles embodies the character of the absent master to whom the Governess feels intimately attracted. Mile’s union with rebellious, symbol of threat, Peter Quint, ultimately possesses him and lead to the breakdown of the social hierarchy. The Governess and Mile’s connection display the

Douglas, the narrator, presents the book in the introduction involving two children to be another turn of the screw. This concept paints a

Henry James’ arrays of characters helps to tie the reality of social conflict in this fictional horror story. His characters each have various economic backgrounds and interact differently with each other. This diversity brings these social conflicts to light and helps readers understand the root of these conflicts. In The Turn of the Screw, Henry James uses characterization and conflict to reveal the horrors of social class in American society.

Henry James's The Turn of the Screw paints a landscape that is ripe for psychoanalytic analysis. He has chosen language and syntax that symbolize his main character's psychological fragmentation and her futile attempt to mend herself. Many of Lacan's theories emerge as the Governess reveals her motivations through her recollective narrative.

The Turn of the screw by Henry James is regarded as one of the most fascinating psychological thrillers of all time. Published in the late nineteenth century, this novella sets up a narrative story of a young lady who appears to have seen the ghost of the former dead employers of the place where she was working. In this novella Henry James combined drama, suspense, and mystery to make it one of the most preferred stories among the readers of all generations. The Turn of the Screw raises many questions, however: Is the governess going crazy? Is she really seeing the phantoms of those dead former state workers? Is she innocent? Is she the villain or the heroine of

Throughout The turn of the Screw by Henry James, the theme of ambiguous issues is constantly leaving the reader on their own. The ambiguity and uncertainty within this text causes the readers to come up with their own theories as to what the text really means. The ghost story perspective only adds to the infuriating vagueness. The title itself is about all of the twists within this story and basically foreshadows the confusion that the text will cause.

The Turn of the Screw is one of the most controversial works in literature and the text has provoked a variety of critical interpretations from its publication in 1898. In this novel, the governess tells her experience with two apparitions that no one but she could see. And the governess accuses the ghosts of servants for corrupting the children, Miles and Flora. Critics concerning about the truth of the story are divided two basic camps based on their acceptance or rejection of the governess's credibility as a storyteller. Some critics believe that the ghosts are real and the governess is a rational and credible narrator, while the others believe that the ghosts are hallucinations of the governess and regard the governess as an incredible and mentally abnormal narrator. Also, we could speculate the author’s intention on the basis of his life experience and other works of Henry James. This essay will examine the reliability of the governess on the basis of the text and interpret Henry James’s intention on the basis of other sources.

From a psychological point of view the appearance of the apparitions to the governess would be a culmination of two theories. The first being her initial meeting with the Master of Blye causing repressed feelings to dictate her actions, and secondly her desire to feel needed by the children causing her to create situations where the children had no choice but to depend on her.

Today, we are here to prove that the Governess is the hero, not the intruder as E. Duncan Aswell makes her seem. To start it off, the ghosts in the book are real because Miles’ and Flora’s personality change throughout the story. As the story progresses the children begin to act less like a child and more like an adult. As the Governess begins to realize the changes and with her paranormal experiences, she sees it her job to be the hero of Bly. As the hero of Bly, she protected the children by keeping them close, caring for them, and was there even if the children didn’t admit to needing help. Through her determination, she was able to save Miles and Flora from their ghosts. Instead of them fighting this battle alone, they had their governess to help them in their struggle against the ghosts. Miles was freed from his ghost and his sister resistance of her ghost was beginning.

Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw forces us to decide whether or not the events at Bly are the result of supernatural interference. Due to the first person retelling, we wish to side with the Governess and believe in the presence of the ghosts. However, a careful examination of the story can only lead us to the conclusion that there were no supernatural events at Bly. Instead, the tragic events were the result of the hallucinations of a young woman out of her depth placed in an isolated and high-pressure environment. The unreliable retelling from the Governess results in a twisting of facts to make them more favorable to her own viewpoint. This is especially true in her projection of feelings and thoughts onto the other characters. There are no ghosts except those produced by the Governess during her descent into madness caused by stress and her own imagination.

The Turn of the Screw is a short story written by British- American novelist Henry James. The plot centers around the retelling of a story about a manor, called Bly, and its inhabitants. Two children, Miles and Flora, are taught by a young governess who believes the children are conversing with their dead caretakers. She constantly sees the dead workers, Miss Jessel and Peter Quint, without anyone else ever seeing them. Mysteriously, the Uncle is not present and wants nothing to do with the children or the governess. In this essay, the sanity of the governess with be questioned by looking at her motives on why she may see the ghosts, whether or not the ghosts are real or not, and why no one else sees the ghosts.