Henry James’s short story (or novella, as it’s also sometimes labeled) “The Turn of the Screw,” which was first published in installments in Collier’s Weekly Magazine in 1898, is at the same time one of his most popular works of fiction and also the one that has been most controversially discussed. In fact, the question whether the apparitions the governess sees are real ghosts haunting and trying to corrupt the children or merely hallucinations of a neurotic woman “blessed” with an overactive imagination has stirred so much controversy that it has even led to the formation of two opposing critical camps sometimes referred to as the apparitionists, i.e. those who believe that the ghosts are real, and the non-apparitionists, i.e. those who believe that the ghosts are just a product of the governess’s overactive imagination. This question of the ghosts’ reality is of course closely linked to the role of the governess as the main character and also narrator of the story, as well as her personality, aims, and motives. Therefore, even apart from the question of the ghosts’ reality, which probably will never be solved to everybody’s satisfaction anyway, one aspect of the story seems to be worth having a closer look at: is the governess rather a heroic woman unselfishly and selfsacrificingly attempting to save the children from the evil influence the ghosts exert on them, or a hysterical and overly protective character wanting to possess her charges and control their every move? In order to shed some light on this conflict (which, just like the aforementioned question of the ghosts’ reality, probably can never be definitely solved), I will first try to sum up the basic information on the governess as provided in the prologue to the actual story, then briefly talk about the point of view from which the action is presented in the narrative proper as well as the effects it has on the reader, and finally discuss various possibilities of characterizing and assessing, based mainly on her actions and statements, the governess and her motives, which I will do in connection with a brief outline of the position some more or less influential critics or critical schools have taken in this matter in the time since the story came out. [...]
Table of Contents
A Introductory Paragraph
B The Role of the Governess: Heroic Savior or Possessive Neurotic?
I Basic Information on the Governess as Presented in the Story
II The Point of View and Its Effects on the Reader
III The Governess’s Character and Motives
1 The Governess as a Psychological Case
2 The Governess as the Children’s Unselfish Protector
3 The Governess as the Children’s Possessive Oppressor
C Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines the character of the governess in Henry James’s "The Turn of the Screw," focusing on the ongoing critical debate regarding whether she acts as a heroic protector or a possessive, mentally unstable individual. The central research question explores how the governess's narrative perspective and psychological state influence the reader's interpretation of the events at the estate of Bly.
- Analysis of the governess's background and reliability as a narrator.
- Evaluation of the "hallucination theory" versus the "ghost theory."
- Discussion of the governess's motivation and the nature of her influence on the children.
- Investigation of the impact of the narrative point of view on the reader's suspense and uncertainty.
Excerpt from the Book
1 The Governess as a Psychological Case
One way of looking at the governess is as a psychological case. This notion has been picked up by a number of critics especially in the 1920s and 30s, who see “The Turn of the Screw” not as a ghost story, but as a psychological case study. They deny the existence of the ghosts and in effect describe the governess as a mentally deranged woman suffering from hallucinations. Some of these critics, like Edmund Wilson in his landmark essay “The Ambiguity of Henry James” (first published in 1934 and later revised), even associate the story with some of the theories of the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. For them, “the governess who is made to tell the story is a neurotic case of sex repression, and the ghosts are not real ghosts but hallucinations” (Wilson 115).
They emphasize the governess’s inexperience when first meeting her future employer in London to apply for the job as governess at Bly and heavily draw on her feelings for this man, who is described in the prologue as “a gentleman, a bachelor in the prime of life, such a figure as had never risen, save in a dream or an old novel, before a fluttered, anxious girl out of a Hampshire vicarage” (153). There is actually quite a lot of evidence in the story, in addition to Douglas’s statements in the prologue, that the governess is not only deeply impressed by her employer, but also falls in love with him right away, which would for instance explain her long persistent refusal to contact him.
Summary of Chapters
A Introductory Paragraph: Introduces the novella and the central critical conflict regarding the reality of the ghosts versus the governess’s subjective experience.
B The Role of the Governess: Heroic Savior or Possessive Neurotic?: Provides an overview of the analytical framework used to evaluate the governess's character.
I Basic Information on the Governess as Presented in the Story: Examines the background of the governess provided in the prologue and questions the objectivity of the narrator Douglas.
II The Point of View and Its Effects on the Reader: Discusses how the first-person perspective limits the reader’s access to facts and forces them to evaluate the governess's reliability.
III The Governess’s Character and Motives: Serves as the main analytical chapter discussing three distinct interpretations of the protagonist.
1 The Governess as a Psychological Case: Analyzes the interpretation that the governess suffers from repression and hallucinations.
2 The Governess as the Children’s Unselfish Protector: Discusses the alternative view that the ghosts are real and the governess is a valiant savior.
3 The Governess as the Children’s Possessive Oppressor: Explores the theory that the governess's obsession makes her the primary antagonist in the children's lives.
C Conclusion: Summarizes the arguments and concludes that the text remains intentionally ambiguous to provoke critical debate.
Keywords
Henry James, The Turn of the Screw, Governess, Ghosts, Hallucinations, Psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, Literary Criticism, Narrative Perspective, Psychological Case, Repression, Bly, Children, Possession, Ambiguity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper explores the character of the governess in Henry James's novella and the enduring debate over her psychological stability and moral status.
What are the central themes discussed?
The main themes include the reliability of first-person narration, the ambiguity between supernatural events and mental illness, and the nature of authority and obsession.
What is the primary research question?
The study aims to determine whether the governess should be perceived as a heroic protector of the children or a possessive, neurotic woman who projects her inner conflicts onto her surroundings.
Which scientific or analytical methods are applied?
The author uses literary analysis, examining the text through the lens of psychological theories (Freudianism), historical context (nineteenth-century medical views on governesses), and structural narrative analysis.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body breaks down the protagonist into three potential roles: a psychological case study, an unselfish savior, and an authoritarian oppressor.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Henry James, psychological repression, narrative unreliability, haunting, and the distinction between real and imaginary threats.
How does the "hallucination theory" explain the ghost appearances?
This theory posits that the ghosts are merely manifestations of the governess’s repressed sexual frustration and her isolation in an unfamiliar social environment.
Why is the "Point of View" considered crucial to the story?
Because the story is told entirely from the governess's perspective, the reader has no omniscient narrator to verify whether the events are objective facts or merely the subjective fantasies of the protagonist.
What evidence supports the interpretation of the governess as an oppressor?
Evidence includes her need to constantly monitor the children, her confession that she treats them like prisoners, and her increasingly aggressive emotional outbursts.
- Quote paper
- Bernd Steiner (Author), 2001, The Governess in Henry James's The Turn of the Screw - Heroic Savior or Possessive Neurotic, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/70461
