The Governesses In The Turn Of The Screw

From the opening lines of the novel, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, the credibility of the narrator is questionable. The frame narrative opens up with an unknown narrator who is listening to manuscript written by the Governess, read by Douglas who acquired it through his sister. Furthermore, the events of the manuscript occur about 20 years prior to the reading of the manuscript in the beginning of the story. The initial narrator, Douglas describes the Governess as ‘young, untried, nervous’ (James 10). This already sets the tone for Governess appearing as an unreliable narrator. In her manuscript, the Governess is homodiegetic to the story,

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.

Through out the short novella, 'The Turn of the Screw,' by Henry James, the governess continually has encounters with apparitions that seem to only appear to her. As Miles' behavior in school worsens so that he is prevented from returning, and as Flora becomes ill with a fever, the governess blames these ghosts for corrupting the children, Miles and Flora, and labels them as evil and manipulative forces in their lives. But why is it that these ghosts only seem to appear to the governess even when the children are present at the time of the sightings by the governess? Evidence from the short story leads the reader to believe that the ghosts are not real but are merely the evidence of the fragmenting sanity of the governess.

The insanity of the governess constantly shows throughout The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. The governess believes the ghosts she sees control the children’s behavior. Rather than accepting that their misbehavior might just be childish Mischief, she blames the ghosts of Quint and Miss Jessel. She also sees ghosts that do not appear to be seen by Mrs. Grose, Miles, and little Flora. The children, especially Flora, ultimately grow to fear the governess. The governess proves her insanity instead of her heroism through many of her actions and beliefs during The Turn of The

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

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

One of the most ambiguous novellas of all time is Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw.” This story does not have a specific climax or ending and it leaves room for numerous interpretations by the readers. The Governess, who narrates the story, is probably the most ambiguous. Her character may be either a hero or a villain. There are numerous ways she portrays both.

In his description of Gatsby in the end of Chapter VIII, Fitzgerald uses symbolism and imagery to convey his themes of isolation and the destabilization and death of dreams within American society. Gatsby’s “old warm” dream world appears to have been “lost”, collapsing upon itself and revealing a much darker reality. Everything in the natural world, from the leaves to the sky, became “unfamiliar”, a whole “new world” that contrasts against previous conceptions. In other words, Gatsby is exposed to the harsh realities of life because he pursued a “single dream”, paralleling the ultimate demise of pursuing the American dream. Those who pursue the elusive idea of the American dream for “too long”, will pay a “high price”, just as Gatsby did. This

The article “Whispers From The Grave” by Katia Bachko, it talks about ghost whisperers or people who talk to ghosts, it also talks about why people are so interested in ghost stories. One example to show that people are interested in ghost stories is they are spooky. The article states “Sarah Winchester starred in terror at Adam Coons, trying to comprehend the chilling words he had just uttered” (Bachko 4). Sarah was the wife to the man who owns the company of the Winchester rifle, this shows how the ghost story is spooky because, it makes the reader spooked of what could come next. If someone didn’t know what going to happen next they would wonder and question what would happen and generally people like stories when they have to guess what

Written in 1843, The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe incorporates nearly all of the gothic elements. While this piece of art may not contain all of the gothic elements, it is the epitome of a gothic short story. In The Tell-Tale Heart, the setting seems to be inside an old house, which strengthens the atmosphere of mystery and suspense. The madness and overall insanity of the narrator illustrates the sense of high, overwrought emotion. The presence of creaking hinges and the darkness represent the metonymies of gloom and horror throughout the story.

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.

As ‘The Turn of the Screw’ was written in the 19th century when most of his family were famous and praised for their study of the mind and investigations into spirit phenomena, this could have inspired Henry to write the story. The fact that his older brother was famous and successful man when it came to psychology and physiology may have contributed to sibling rivalry. Henry had written novels that hadn’t sold well and had written plays that were far too intellectual for many of the general public to even watch. Writing a psychological ghost story in a spirit-obsessed era when his family were renowned for their knowledge seems to be best explanation as to why the novella was written.

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.

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In The Turn of The Screw by Henry James the governess keeps seeing these mystical beings that may be real, or in her head. The article Believing Is Seeing by Barry L. Beyerstein shows a message that people can see a mystical being and their are explanations behind their citations that prove the appearance they see are not real. Whether you believe in ghosts, or believe that ghosts are fake, I will prove that ghosts are not real in The Turn of the Screw and how informational texts contribute to these types of explanations.