Written Response- Henry James Turn of the Screw
• Which assertion do you find to be most persuasive and why?
Harold C. Goddard’s assertive implication (with roots to the Freudian theory) that the governess, the heroine of Turn of the Screw, suffers from psychological fixations and a hallucinatory narrative of ghosts derived from her passion of the employer is a detailed observation of the novels alternate, all be it underlined, narrative of Henry James asking questions and demonstrating themes such as "why do people lie?" And observing the psychological phenomenon in which a series of mainstreamed hallucinations, brought on by the governess’s repressed feelings in an isolated location, coerced into a singular tale of detailed filled content. …show more content…
In that sense, this novella acts as a psychological profile for pathological liars, hallucinates, and the exposure of repressed memories through the confines of an imagined narrative. The “ghost” narrative acts as a catalyst and highly used concept widely popularized during England at the time of the publication of James work, "The spirituality craze had begun in 1848 when the two young Fox sisters in New York heard unexplained rapping’s in their bedroom. They were able to ask questions and receive answers in raps from what they - and the many people who became aware of their case - believed was a dead person. That same year, a book about the "science" of ghosts, The Night Side of Nature; or, Ghosts and Ghost Seers, by Catherine Crowe was published and became very popular." The cultural phenomenon of trending a setting, place and time, or popularized concept to get ones political point across is a common placement amongst culture in various time periods. So in retrospect James’s use of the “ghost” narrative is nothing but a distraction from the reader of the true narrative he has attempted to write. Examples can be observed in the Atomic Age by the various works of films from "Them!" a 1954 science fiction film, directed by Gordon Douglas, about humanity's battle with a nest of giant mutant ants, acts as a tale of repercussions in dealing with nuclear waste. Other films like Godzilla, a monster narrative expressing the fear and terror of atomic bombs landing on Hiroshima, to the more prestigious works of fiction in H.G Wells "The World Set Free." The same accusation could be said about the western films of the mid 90's and modern day super hero flicks. It is just a narrative device, such as his use of language and first person point of view, to remain
• Which assertion do you find to be most persuasive and why?
Harold C. Goddard’s assertive implication (with roots to the Freudian theory) that the governess, the heroine of Turn of the Screw, suffers from psychological fixations and a hallucinatory narrative of ghosts derived from her passion of the employer is a detailed observation of the novels alternate, all be it underlined, narrative of Henry James asking questions and demonstrating themes such as "why do people lie?" And observing the psychological phenomenon in which a series of mainstreamed hallucinations, brought on by the governess’s repressed feelings in an isolated location, coerced into a singular tale of detailed filled content. …show more content…
In that sense, this novella acts as a psychological profile for pathological liars, hallucinates, and the exposure of repressed memories through the confines of an imagined narrative. The “ghost” narrative acts as a catalyst and highly used concept widely popularized during England at the time of the publication of James work, "The spirituality craze had begun in 1848 when the two young Fox sisters in New York heard unexplained rapping’s in their bedroom. They were able to ask questions and receive answers in raps from what they - and the many people who became aware of their case - believed was a dead person. That same year, a book about the "science" of ghosts, The Night Side of Nature; or, Ghosts and Ghost Seers, by Catherine Crowe was published and became very popular." The cultural phenomenon of trending a setting, place and time, or popularized concept to get ones political point across is a common placement amongst culture in various time periods. So in retrospect James’s use of the “ghost” narrative is nothing but a distraction from the reader of the true narrative he has attempted to write. Examples can be observed in the Atomic Age by the various works of films from "Them!" a 1954 science fiction film, directed by Gordon Douglas, about humanity's battle with a nest of giant mutant ants, acts as a tale of repercussions in dealing with nuclear waste. Other films like Godzilla, a monster narrative expressing the fear and terror of atomic bombs landing on Hiroshima, to the more prestigious works of fiction in H.G Wells "The World Set Free." The same accusation could be said about the western films of the mid 90's and modern day super hero flicks. It is just a narrative device, such as his use of language and first person point of view, to remain