Screws

The Turn of the Screw had a slew of questions arising from the many mysteries twisted amongst the plot. One of the most intriguing characters was the main character, the new governess. An unnamed governess was sent to watch Miles and his little sister Flora at the Bly Estate after the previous governess suddenly disappeared. She arrived when it was just Flora and the housekeeper Mrs. Grose. Flora was an angelic beauty, always well-behaved and even volunteered to show the governess around the…

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…

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…

Screw ups are a dime a dozen, and, for a time, I believed I was no exception. Growing up has its ups and downs, most of which were difficult for me to distinguish. Pinnacles of success and utter defeat riddle life as it goes by. I have had a very odd relationship to this very law of nature, whether it was holding back or sped up to no avail, I needed to adapt quickly, like many before me. However, my very supportive and reassuring parents have been a true blessing in my life. From “You can do…

In Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw, the insane governess undeliberately strangles Miles in an attempt to be his hero and save him from the ghosts she is hallucinating. The governess soon becomes delusional after arriving at the estate and begins to hallucinate and sees two ghosts, a man and a woman. After her first sighting of the man in the tower, she speaks with another worker, Mrs. Grose, and they decide that it is the ghost of a previous servant, Peter Quint. After the governess’…

The Turn of the Screw has been considered most notable for introducing gothic ghost stories into the public’s view. The story also presented an opportunity to explore the affect which an author’s personal relationships, specifically those that didn’t coincide with societal ideas of morality, had on their work. It additionally draws attention to the significance of child abuse and the attention we afford the humanity of children. Each idea intersected at the idea of adults finding youthful beauty…

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…

reader and create doubt in their minds. Bengels strengthens this argument by looking at the devolution of words, specifically “charm”, in the novella. By analyzing the relationship between words and their definitions in Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw, readers…

The ‘Turn the Screw ' Henry James is a novella with its original content written in a choreographed language. It is difficult for one to do interpretations without a deeper interest in the text written and many have tried to know what the text means and the original intention of the author in passing his message to scholars. There is an evil twinge and twist in the story line, but there exists a brilliant idea for one who understands the novella. An anonymous narrator reads a script to Douglas,…

Turn of the Screw 1. In your opinion, are the ghosts real, or are they manifestations of the Governess's imagination? Yes, in my opinion the ghosts are real. The Governess knew exactly what the ghosts looked like and she never knew them. 2. What exactly is so scary about Peter Quint (well, aside from the fact that he's dead)? Peter Quint is trying to possess Miles. He also tried to seduce Miss Jessel. If that isn’t already enough, he tried to take over the house when his uncle left and…