Henry James’s “The Turn of the Screw” features a callous master, an eager governess, mischievous children, a deceptive housekeeper, and two apparitions. In this book, an uncle who has no desire to care for his niece and nephew, hires a governess who sees the former valet and her predecessor who are both dead. Various critics argue different theories regarding the apparitions. It has been said that the governess is suffering from a psychological instability and that is what is causing her to hallucinate these ghosts. By analyzing the appearances of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, the children’s misbehavior, the projected ignorance of Mrs. Grose, and the lack of mental stability, one will find that the governess is not hallucinating the ghosts.
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Quint and Jessel are alive and encouraging the children and Mrs.Grose to act as though they can not see them, in hopes of driving the governess away, so they can make their return. Peter Quint appears five times throughout the story. He is first seen standing on the tower at Bly, where he appears soon after the governess wishes “Someone would appear there at the turn of a path and would stand before me and smile and approve” (James 15). The next time he is seen, he was looking in through the window. The governess is stunned for a moment before racing outside to catch him, but when she got out there, he was gone. It was then that she and Mrs. Grose talked about what she had seen. The governess gave a near perfect description of Peter Quint. “The governess is able to describe Quint’s height, carriage, general appearance, complexion, hair, whiskers, eyebrows, eyes, mouth and lips, and clothing. Perhaps the best proof that her description is adequate lies in Mrs. Grose’s ability to identify Quint” (Jones 116). When describing the man she had encountered, Mrs. Grose informed her that the man she was talking to, was the former valet, who was now deceased. Your mind can not make up faces, the governess had to actually see Quint and …show more content…
The governess eventually goes crazy from everyone treating her as if she is crazy. She knows she sees Quint and Jessel, yet Mrs. Grose, Flora and Miles all assure her they are both deceased. The governess goes through several traumatic events which also leads to her imminent insanity. Any person who is being told the person they are seeing is dead, is rightful begin questioning their own sanity. In a journal article written by Marcus Klein, it is said “The governess seeks to protect Innocence, that of the children, against the predatory Evil of the ghosts”(Kelin 596). All the governess wants to do is care for the children. She wants to be seen as doing a good job by the master, so she will do whatever it takes. This is not insanity, it is love. She is undeniably in love with her employer and he wants nothing to do with her, the children or the estate. When he hires her he tells her there is one condition, “‘That she should never trouble him―but never, never: neither appeal nor complain not write about anything; only meet all questions herself, receive all moneys from his solicitor, take the whole thing over and let him alone…’”(James 7). Although the master wanted no ties to her, she still felt the need to do anything it took for him to notice her. That includes caring for Flora and Miles to the best of her ability. Women also have the tendency to let their
Quint and Jessel are alive and encouraging the children and Mrs.Grose to act as though they can not see them, in hopes of driving the governess away, so they can make their return. Peter Quint appears five times throughout the story. He is first seen standing on the tower at Bly, where he appears soon after the governess wishes “Someone would appear there at the turn of a path and would stand before me and smile and approve” (James 15). The next time he is seen, he was looking in through the window. The governess is stunned for a moment before racing outside to catch him, but when she got out there, he was gone. It was then that she and Mrs. Grose talked about what she had seen. The governess gave a near perfect description of Peter Quint. “The governess is able to describe Quint’s height, carriage, general appearance, complexion, hair, whiskers, eyebrows, eyes, mouth and lips, and clothing. Perhaps the best proof that her description is adequate lies in Mrs. Grose’s ability to identify Quint” (Jones 116). When describing the man she had encountered, Mrs. Grose informed her that the man she was talking to, was the former valet, who was now deceased. Your mind can not make up faces, the governess had to actually see Quint and …show more content…
The governess eventually goes crazy from everyone treating her as if she is crazy. She knows she sees Quint and Jessel, yet Mrs. Grose, Flora and Miles all assure her they are both deceased. The governess goes through several traumatic events which also leads to her imminent insanity. Any person who is being told the person they are seeing is dead, is rightful begin questioning their own sanity. In a journal article written by Marcus Klein, it is said “The governess seeks to protect Innocence, that of the children, against the predatory Evil of the ghosts”(Kelin 596). All the governess wants to do is care for the children. She wants to be seen as doing a good job by the master, so she will do whatever it takes. This is not insanity, it is love. She is undeniably in love with her employer and he wants nothing to do with her, the children or the estate. When he hires her he tells her there is one condition, “‘That she should never trouble him―but never, never: neither appeal nor complain not write about anything; only meet all questions herself, receive all moneys from his solicitor, take the whole thing over and let him alone…’”(James 7). Although the master wanted no ties to her, she still felt the need to do anything it took for him to notice her. That includes caring for Flora and Miles to the best of her ability. Women also have the tendency to let their