Henry James

Sometimes in our deep desire to become a hero, we can end up destroying that which we intend to save. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James explores the events of an unusual ghost story in which a newly appointed governess begins to live in Bly, a wealthy estate, where she must care for two young children: Flora and Miles. As the governess repeatedly sees ghosts throughout the estate, she becomes invested in protecting the children but is progressively concerned whether they have deeper knowledge of the ghosts or not. Several events throughout the novella and actions of the governess reflect James’ intended theme of destructive heroism that greatly affects those around her. The governess’ first sightings of the apparitions, Peter Quint and…

In The Turn of the Screw adolescence is depicted, mostly through the thoughts of the governess, as maintenance of innocence. However, it is shown that throughout adolescence, and through the loss of adolescence, there is constant corruption and negative influences which ultimately lead to a loss of innocence. This loss of innocence and struggle to cling to adolescence seen throughout the novel is Henry James’s way of depicting the consequences of hidden desires. These desires, specifically those…

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…

In Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, the reader is pulled in two directions as he or she decides for himself or herself if the ghosts are projections of the governess’ unconscious or if they are truly haunting both Miles and Flora. These two differing viewpoints are a direct result of James’ use of ambiguity of the text, which contribute to the overall eerie and uncanny feeling produced. The development of the uncanny and use of ambiguity within the text opens up a new perspective of the text…

Kate Chopin is considered one of the first feminist writers of the twentieth century; she used literary realism for addressing issues of race, gender, colonialism, slavery, etc. We see her feminist approach in her portraying of women’s realities in the south and how their lack of independence and freedom affect their lives. In the other hand, Henry James is also realist in style, but he depicts reality from an objective impartial position, his personages are portrayed as a mirror. In his novel…

In Henry James’ short horror story, The Turn of the Screw, James challenges the reader’s conception of reality and reliability. Moreover, the ambiguity of truth permeating the Governess’ psyche acts as a central motif throughout the story. Whist his work prompted many literary critics to provide their own explanations, not all interpretations are of equal merit. In this regard, one can consider Wayne C. Booth’s reader-response perspective on The Turn of the Screw deserving of such merit.…

anything that I do” (James 444). In the text Daisy Miller by Henry James, an untraditional relationship develops and unfolds between Mr. Winterbourne and Miss. Daisy Miller. Upon meeting in Vevey, Switzerland, they immediately connect. After talking for half an hour, Winterbourne concludes that Daisy is an American flirt, which is not the type of woman Mr. Winterbourne is used to meeting where he lives in Geneva. As a result of this, he is immediately attracted to her. Her attitude and…

The work Daisy Miller, by Henry James contains many key words that stand out to a reader. Many of these words repeated through out the text, and their meanings can change as a reader continues to read. Some of these words appear as many as 51 times like “American”, or “society” which only appears 12 times. When put together, these key words tend to show the reader what the story or work is truly about. One word that appears more than any other is “young”, which appears 138 times in the text. The…

The State of the Governess’ Mind The literary choices made by Henry James in The Turn of the Screw cultivates a numerous amount of theories to the stumping question: are the ghosts the governess sees real, or are they symptoms of her insanity? As the story goes, a sheltered young woman is hired on as a governess for a charming man’s niece and nephew, with the instructions to never contact him again. While staying at the estate of Bly, the governess sees two ghosts and claims that they are…

In Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, the reader is pulled in two directions as he or she must decide for himself or herself if the ghosts are simply projections of the governess’ unconscious or if they are truly haunting both Miles and Flora. These two differing viewpoints are a direct result of James’ use of ambiguity of the text. James’ story then changes from a simple ghost story about a governess, two ghosts, and two children to a story filled with ambiguity and questions, which contribute…