Essay about Critical Response to the Turn of the Screw

Henry James’ novella the Turn of the Screw is a highly ambiguous piece of fiction. Set in Edwardian England, a very naà ¯ve woman is left in charge of two young children. The beautiful Bly however appears to be hiding a few dark secrets. The appearance of two ghosts plays on the governess’ mind, she comes to the conclusion the children are in danger and being possessed by these two horrors. Throughout the novella James successfully creates a mystical atmosphere, his ambiguous style forces us to think twice about what is written and decide for ourselves whether or not this is purely a ghost story or something far more sinister. However after several reads and a close look behind the words, it becomes clear that the ‘ghosts’ that haunt the†¦show more content†¦A woman as fanciful and dreamy as this in such a position is not going to survive. As we continue to read this novella we must notice the governess’ wild and unnecessary use of elaborate adjectives to describe the simplest of things. Her style of writing in itself is quite romantic and poetic, full of metaphors and oxymorons. However sometimes her choice of words is so prompting we must take a closer look into perhaps a double or triple meaning. When she first sights the ghost of Peter Quint on top of the house she is able to describe his position with amazing precision in note of the fact she was some distance from him and her sighting was quite brief. She comments â€Å"he stood at an angle, tall and erect†¦ he fixed me with a hard gaze† and when yet again she confides in Mrs Grouse she gives a very elaborate description commenting on his â€Å"tight red curls, pale face, long in shape, small tiny whickers, darker arched eyebrows and the fact that he had no hat†. The governess even uses phrases such as â€Å"the intercourse of our conve rsation added to the intensity of our meeting† in description of everyday things such as normal conversation. The governess certainly has deeper meaning behind most of her words. The last and most important point in regards to the governess’ repressed sexual desires is her highly inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour with both her pupils, in particular Miles. There is a constant underlying power struggle between the two. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Nameless Governess in The Turn of the Screw: Hero or Villain?1181 Words   |  5 Pagesinterpretations and retelling or rewriting of the events. One critical response by Edmund Wilson regarded the Governess as hallucinatory. 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