Henry James and 'The Turn of the Screw': The Governess and the Ghosts

Pre-University Paper from the year 2010 in the subject Didactics - English - Literature, Works, grade: 1, , language: English, abstract: Henry James's title of his novel could not have been more allusive. He writes 'The Turn of the Screw' at the turn of the century when people were both excited and nervous about what to expect of the new century. He gives the ghost-story another turn of the screw as the tale involves a second child. And even the author is at a turning point, because he decided, for the first time, to rent an old house, where he stays until his death. What happens if one turns the screw? Does it all get worse or does giving the screw two turns produce a status that restores its former orientation? Certainly a turn alters something. The governess in 'The Turn of the Screw' wonders what happens if someone turns out to be, for instance, innocent and this thought is instantly followed by another: What then on earth is the governess? This tendency to relate everything to one's personal situation is perfectly human, but problematic. Can one unconditionally trust one's own perception? Even the governess doubts this. She and the ghosts will be analysed and carefully interpreted in order to understand James's narrative and the problems of human doubts and awareness.