Henry James, the Art of Fiction and the Turn on 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.

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

The brain is an intricately designed organ that helps in the aid of daily life. It is able to control all other organs and bodily functions and even manages all actions, memories, or feelings that can be experienced. It is essential in the functioning of daily life. However, there are times in which it can be deceitful, sometimes even showing things that are not even there. This causes one to doubt the very nature of things and can even explain why it is that things such as ‘second thoughts’ or ‘fear’ crosses the mind. Henry James, the author of The Turn of the Screw, uses these “defects of the mind” to destroy the barrier between reality and fiction. The Turn of the Screw exists in a reality that is retold more than once and in many instances, it depicts the twisted perception of a protagonist with an "overactive imagination" and even goes as far as to show how the reader perceives the certain perceptions of others. How one is able to view a certain 'reality, ' solely depends on a person 's reaction to certain situations as well as the mental stability during the action or moment. Galileo Galilei even stated that “tastes, odors, colors, and so on resides only in one’s head.” James tries to make us doubt whether reality is all it seems to be by interfering with the mental health of a person, giving way to many theories or conjectures through the use of perception.

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

Puissant, complex, sinister, twisted, is the human mind. The human mind is that without a moon, dark and warped. The human mind is that without the stars, sinful and impure thus corrupting others. The human mind even considered ‘sane’ is in contrast unconscious. This depiction of the human mind is depicted through the governess, who has hallucinations of ghosts, in Henry James’ Turn of the Screw. The governess, the young protagonist of this novella, moved to Bly to be a governess of two children, Miles and Flora, whom are strangers to her. Also, upon her interviewing to be governess she fell madly in love with her potential employer. Due to the governess’ job and her sexual repression, the governess’ mind is unconscious due to Freud’s theory which thus enables the diagnostic of the governess to be that she has schizophrenia.

In what way are influences from the Victorian society present within the work, and how do these influences complicate the meaning of the work as a whole ? - Regarding The Turn of The Screw.

Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw has been described as one of the best ghost stories of all time. However, there is clear evidence that the main character, the governess, suffers from delusions. The strange events that occur throughout the story happen in the estate of Bly. The anomalies, described as horrors or ghosts, only come to light after the governess arrives. These events are due to creations of the governess ' mind, her controlling intent to protect and overrule the children, and her unstable mental state. In this way, her thoughts and her actions are the cause of the strange events at Bly.

“The Turn of the Screw”, by Henry James, is a gothic novella intended to be a story about ghosts. The story of an innocent governess, working for an uncle, does not know what is about to approach her when it comes to the house she is in and the two young two children, Miles and Flora, whom she has to take care of. Many readers have tried to figure out the mystery and nature of horror hinted by the novella. However, others have determined that the true brilliance of the confusion comes with the ability to create suspense and an intimate confusion for the reader, which Henry James has intended to do. Despite this, passages from the novella will be discussed in regards to the theme of horror included in the novella to explain how Henry James portrays

The novel, The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James, is a novel about a ghost story that involves two children and a Governess who believes she is the heroine and tries to save the children she looks after. The novel, Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, is about the life of a character named Heathcliff and his journey that follows since he was brought to the Earnshaw home, by Mr. Earnshaw, his adoptive father; what follows is his struggles as he matures into a man and how he falls in love and becomes obsessed with Catherine. Gothic elements are found throughout both books. The definition of gothic elements is the “style of writing that can be characterized by elements of fear, horror, death, gloom, as well as a romantic nature” (Greaver). The

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’ novel The Turn of the Screw presents to the reader a story that seems as real as the recorded ghost sightings which were the primary influence for the book. Nevertheless, upon further examination, the reader might begin to wonder about the reliability of the narrator. Considering the setting in which the story is narrated, the storyteller’s confessions and pieces of unawareness impact emerging, the governess can be described as an unreliable narrator. Most people concentrate on Governess’ story instead of the introduction for the analysis of The Turn of the Screw. However, this novel is a frame story, and more precise information can be found in Douglas’ story and the conditions in which he narrates the story (James, p.5). At the

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.

In the first part of the eighteenth century, the ascent of the novel profoundly adjusted the craft of English account. On the other hand, the built up true to life convention influenced the improvement of the novel to a degree not yet completely figured it out. Amid this period, neither one of the forms can be completely comprehended without the other. (Historical Background: The 18th Century)