“The Others”: From Jessel and Quint, Mrs. Grose to the Governess Fear comes from people’s limitation of knowledge of each other, especially when it comes to group of people different from the mainstream of society, whether it is because of the difference in nationality, religion, gender, race, or social classes. People tend to consider them evil and categorize them as “others”. For example, in Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw”, the two dead servants, Peter Quint, the master’s former valet and Miss. Jessel, the former governess, come back to haunt the Bly. The two figures exactly represent the class segregation in Victorian-era Britain. In this story, the servants are the “others”. Henry James’ depiction of two ghostly servants does not eliminate people’s fear towards the stereotype, but instead reinforces the demonic impression of these socially others.
Rosemary Jackson connects evil with the socially others: “The concept of evil, which is usually attached to the other, is relative, transforming with shifts in cultural fears and values.” (Jackson 52) The idea of …show more content…
Grose. They belong to the same social class, lower than the master and two children, Flora and Miles. The story is told from the governess’ point of view, and therefore she is the one describes the uncanny feeling towards the two servants. It is interesting how theoretically even though the governess and two dead servants belong to the same social class, she still holds her responsibility in saving the children from them, and categorizes the two servants as demon. The idea is not generated from her imagination. It is Mrs. Grose who immediately recognizes the man that the governess saw out of the window is Peter Quint. The governess never sees or knows about Quint and Jessel when they were alive, and therefore it is not entirely her fault in recognizing them as evil spirits haunting the
Rosemary Jackson connects evil with the socially others: “The concept of evil, which is usually attached to the other, is relative, transforming with shifts in cultural fears and values.” (Jackson 52) The idea of …show more content…
Grose. They belong to the same social class, lower than the master and two children, Flora and Miles. The story is told from the governess’ point of view, and therefore she is the one describes the uncanny feeling towards the two servants. It is interesting how theoretically even though the governess and two dead servants belong to the same social class, she still holds her responsibility in saving the children from them, and categorizes the two servants as demon. The idea is not generated from her imagination. It is Mrs. Grose who immediately recognizes the man that the governess saw out of the window is Peter Quint. The governess never sees or knows about Quint and Jessel when they were alive, and therefore it is not entirely her fault in recognizing them as evil spirits haunting the