Turn of the screw interpretation. Literary Analysis: Turn of the Screw 2022-11-08

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The Turn of the Screw, written by Henry James and first published in 1898, is a novella that has generated much debate and discussion among literary critics and readers alike. The story follows a young governess who is hired to care for two orphaned children at a remote country estate. As she begins to settle into her new role, the governess becomes convinced that the children are being haunted by the ghosts of the previous governess, Miss Jessel, and her lover, Peter Quint.

One interpretation of the novella is that the ghosts are purely a figment of the governess' imagination, and that she is suffering from a form of psychosis or mental illness. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the ghosts are only seen by the governess, and no one else in the story seems to be aware of their presence. In this view, the governess is struggling with feelings of sexual repression and jealousy, and projects these emotions onto the ghosts as a way of coping with them.

Another interpretation is that the ghosts are real, and that the governess is being manipulated by them in order to gain control over the children. In this view, the governess is seen as a victim, who is being used by the ghosts as a means to an end. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the governess seems to be increasingly under the influence of the ghosts as the story progresses, and that the children's behavior becomes more erratic and strange as the hauntings continue.

A third interpretation is that the ghosts are a metaphor for the governess' own internal conflicts and desires. In this view, the ghosts represent the governess' own unconscious mind, which is trying to communicate with her through the use of symbols and allegory. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the ghosts seem to represent different aspects of the governess' psyche, and that their actions and behavior mirror the governess' own struggles and fears.

Ultimately, the true nature of the ghosts in The Turn of the Screw remains open to interpretation, and different readers will likely come to different conclusions about their significance and meaning. What is clear, however, is that the novella is a complex and thought-provoking work that invites readers to consider the psychological and emotional states of its characters, and to explore the themes of repression, desire, and the power of the unconscious mind.

Can someone please explain the ending of The Turn of the Screw? : books

turn of the screw interpretation

He sought out the answers to the unconscious motives that drove people then, and still manage to drive us today. Get Help With Your Essay If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! Haunting and spectrality in neo-Victorian fiction: possessing the past. According to an essay on Victorian governesses, being carried away was something to be expected of a young woman with a stressful profession. Some of them are too nasty for hell, and they sometimes get in among us. This seems to add to the case that the apparitions are simply scapegoats created by the governess to carry any blame projected on them.

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The Turn of the Screw by Henry James Plot Summary

turn of the screw interpretation

In its twenty-four brief chapters, the book becomes a modest monument to the bold pursuit of ambiguity. The ghost story itself is told from the perspective of an unnamed governess. Readers suddenly find themselves in the throes of the story itself without quite noticing how it began as the narrator describes an unnamed bachelor who hired a governess to care for his niece and nephew. Is it because the story is narrated by an unknown individual or is it because the story is read from her written statement? Grose considers him an unsavory character who seduced Miss Jessel and who spent too much time with Miles for her liking. Her desire to break out of the class structure, yet her inability to do so, shows her dependence on the structure. Marxist criticism leaves society thinking that dominant classes overpower social order. Grose tells the governess that he seduced Miss Jessel, the previous governess, who is also deceased now.

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What is the significance of the title The Turn of the Screw?

turn of the screw interpretation

Escaping the Governess in The Turn of the Screw At the end of The Turn of the Screw, great ambiguity exists surrounding Miles's death because serious questions remain about the credibility of the Governess who was the original author of the story. » Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. The governess pointing out the features of Quint before she know what was going on is too strong a fact to overlook. The style in which the book is written can also be considered a place to begin an analysis because of James's creativity in sentence structure and word choice and his odd use of punctuation. There was no question that the mother, fifty-year-old Ivy Muriel Cogdon, had killed the girl, and done so in a spectacularly brutal fashion, with an axe. The Turn of the screw is a novella written by Henry James in 1898. The conflict between her actual narration of the story and her actions and dialogue observed by audience creates the two-sided characterization of the Governess that exudes the ambiguity of the true good and evil of the novella.


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Interpretation In The Turn Of The Screw

turn of the screw interpretation

The Turn of the Screw Analysis The Turn of the Screw is a ghost novella written with the purpose of being intentionally ambiguous. The Turn of the Screw. Poetics Today brings together scholars from throughout the world who are concerned with developing systematic approaches to the study of literature e. The Governess tries her best to protect Flora and Miles after learning about the impact Peter and Miss Jessel had on the children. Loneliness In 'The Yellow Wallpaper' 884 Words 4 Pages She claims to see her in the garden on that long street under the trees, crawling along, and when a carriage comes she covers up under the blackberry vines. Any problems with their behavior can be traced back to the influence of evil adults, such as Peter Quint. Ambiguity Ambiguity is a major element in virtually all horror fiction.

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The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

turn of the screw interpretation

A similar choice was made in The Time Machine by H. The second explanation, being based in logic, reasoning, and an understanding of the Victorian era time period, is a much more plausible theory than the first explanation involving actual ghosts when the evidence and subtle hints that were left from Henry James are brought forth. Peter Quint We also have Peter Quint, a former employee at Bly. Gender Roles in Little House on the Prairie During the Victorian Era, society had idealized expectations that all members of their culture were supposedly striving to accomplish. His story grows ever grimmer, ever scarier. Either way, The Turn of the Screw is a highly effective horror story, since the ambiguity heightens the drama and tension by guaranteeing that the reader never receives confirmation about what is the true interpretation of the novella's events.

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Analysis of Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw

turn of the screw interpretation

In attempting to learn why Miles has been dismissed from school and why both children hide their contact with the ghosts—vague hints of drink and sex inform the mysteries—the governess is forced to confront the children and, in the process, Miles dies. Some later critiques of the story have questioned James's use of a frame narrator to tell the story instead of having the Governess provide her own version of events directly. When Flora falls ill, Mrs. While the narrator swears it happened and it comes from the supposed letter from the governess it's still meant to thrill the listener. It was originally published in 1898 and remains one of Henry James's most famous works today. Like her brother, she is unwilling to admit to any contact with ghosts. Upon critical examination it can be concluded that upon his death Miles is not saved from Quint, but from the erotic longings of the Governess.


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Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, An Analysis

turn of the screw interpretation

Literary Analysis: Turn of the Screw. The Turn of the Screw: Criticism There have been several criticisms of The Turn of the Screw since it was first published. Ambiguity is perhaps this novella's most prominent rhetorical strategy, blurring lines with the actions of the characters, as well as in the language. Grose cares about Flora and Miles and does not seem to fully trust the Governess. A mansion probably similar to the one in the setting of The Turn of the Screw Seldom is a literary work supposed to be taken at face value. Author Henry James The mystery surrounding the book wasn't as pronounced to the people of the time of its release in 1898 and some may think it wasn't pronounced to Henry James either.


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Marxist Interpretation of The Turn of the Screw by...

turn of the screw interpretation

We also encourage discussion about developments in the book world and we have a flair system. You might not expect him to have written one of the most famous, intriguing, and ambiguous ghost stories of the century, but he did. A structuralist approach to The Turn of the Screw might point out that several characters in the story form similar dichotomies: Miles and Flora, Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, and the Governess and the absent uncle. The Victorian Age Attitudes Between Social Classes The Victorian Age saw the development of intricate social classes. She takes on the challenge and tells herself that she will put up a strong front. The Notebooks of Henry James.


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