Point Of View Interpretation In Henry James's The Turn Of The Screw

Zacharias’s “The Extraordinary Flight of heroism the occasion demanded of me.’: Fantasy and Confession in The Turn of the Screw” describes the actions and the apparitions in the novella as a part of the governess’s anxieties and how they are the symbol which resemble the execution of her job. The readers first get an understanding of how fantasy is her coping mechanism when she first has troubles dealing with the job. As Zacharias puts it, “the fantasy relieves the anxiety she feels from feelings of inadequacy for the very fulfillment of the master’s expectations” (321). Zacharias then moves the audience towards the fact that the fantasy can also be the cause for anxiety, which is the intriguing aspect I would like to focus on.

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.

Grose agrees with the Governess proves her sanity. This however is not true because Mrs. Grose is an unreliable source because of her protectiveness of the children and lack of intelligence. In the quote “I judged best simply to hand her my letter… [but she] simply put her hands behind her [and] shook her head sadly… My counselor couldn´t read!" we learn that Mrs. Grose is uneducated which, along with her protectiveness of the children, proves her unreliability. How can an uneducated person who is already extremely overprotective of the children be a reliable source. We also learn later that Mrs. Grose, in fact, never believed in the ghosts and was actually afraid of the governess all along. Because Mrs. Grose is an unreliable source and never actually saw the ghosts, this counterclaim is disproven. Some may say that children see the ghosts which proves the governess’ sanity, however, this is false. We never see any proof that the children see ghosts, so it is safe to say that the governess was pushing the belief of ghosts onto the children so that she doesn’t need to admit that she is insane. The governess also didn’t want Flora and Miles to meet after she questioned Flora about Miss Jessel because she didn’t want them to have a chance to discuss the outburst she had earlier. Miles is questioning her suspicion when he asks where Peter Quint is. When the governess points him out, Miles turns around shouting “Peter Quint-- you devil!”

     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.

She believes Flora sees the ghost as well, but Flora withholds saying anything about the ghost. The governess waits for Flora’s reaction when she says, “My heart had stood stiffer an instant with the wonder and the terror of the question whether she too would see; and I held my breath while I waited for what a cry from her, what sudden innocent sign either of interest or alarm, would tell me. I waited, but nothing came…” (James 29). The governess waits for a reaction that never comes. She believes Flora sees Miss Jessel, but the governess is the only one seeing her. Flora does not see Miss Jessel because the ghost is a figment of the governess’s

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 Crucible, hysteria enabled people to believe that their neighbors were capable of conversing with the devil. The most obvious case of hysteria is when Abigail Williams accuses Elizabeth Proctor of sending her spirit out to harm her in the dead of night. Ezekiel Cheever explains “Abigail Williams sat to dinner in Reverend Parris’s house tonight, and without word nor warnin’ she falls to the floor. And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draws a needle out. She testify it were your wife’s familiar spirit pushed it in”(Miller 36). Abigail only made up this incident to get back at Proctor for choosing Elizabeth over her. Hysteria also occurred when Thomas Putnam accused Rebecca Nurse of the murder of Ann Putnam's babies. After his wife was escorted to jail,Francis Nurse exclaimed to Reverend Hale “For murder, she’s charged! For the marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam's babies”(Miller 34). Ann Putnam believed that Rebecca had summoned her spirit during the time when she was in labor and purposely murdered her children. Both these exaggerated stories benefited the accuser and damaged the

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

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.

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.

I will argue that it is the narrative frames enclosing The Turn of The Screw that are largely responsible for the reception the book has received. They serve two main purposes; one, to build up an element of suspense and tension before the governess's account actually