The Turn of the Screw

Miles’s death in The Turn of the Screw is ambiguous. One explanation is that the ghost of Peter Quint left Miles's body, causing his heart to stop. Another interpretation is that the governess,...

The title "The Turn of the Screw" symbolizes increasing tension and psychological pressure. Initially, it refers to the intensification of a ghost story involving two children, which heightens the...

There is no explicit evidence of child sexual abuse in Henry James's The Turn of the Screw. The novel uses ambiguous language, typical of the Victorian era, to suggest corruption and contamination by...

The three main themes in The Turn of the Screw are the struggle between good and evil, the difference between reality and fantasy, and the existence of supernatural spirits. The governess's...

In "The Turn of the Screw," whether the governess truly sees ghosts is ambiguous and debated. Critics, following Edmund Wilson's 1934 article "The Ambiguity of Henry James," suggest the governess...

Henry James uses imagery, setting, and vague diction to portray the governess's confusion and uncertainty. The eerie descriptions of the estate, such as "dead silence," create a sense of unease....

In "The Turn of the Screw," the children's behaviors change as they become secretive and display uncharacteristic actions, possibly due to the influence of ghosts if the story is read as a ghost...

Applying Propp's functions and "seven spheres of action" to The Turn of the Screw is challenging due to its realist nature and lack of magic. However, the unnamed uncle can be seen as the Dispatcher,...

In The Turn of the Screw, Henry James makes the main character an unreliable narrator by making her say things that call into question the truth of her story. For instance, the governess frequently...

Mrs. Grose's quote highlights Peter Quint's inappropriate behavior with Miles, suggesting Quint crossed social and possibly moral boundaries. Quint's "fancy" to play with Miles implies he initiated...

In "The Turn of the Screw," it is ambiguous whether Miles and Flora actually see the ghosts. The story is narrated by the governess, whose reliability is questionable due to her possible delusions...

Henry James's central idea in "The Turn of the Screw" revolves around the battle between good and evil, with ghosts representing evil and the children symbolizing innocence. The narrative's...

At the end of "The Turn of the Screw," Miles refers to "Peter Quint— you devil!" However, interpretations vary on whether he is addressing the ghost of Peter Quint or the governess. While some argue...

The theme of good versus evil in "The Turn of the Screw" is often interpreted not as a literal battle, but as a psychological conflict within the governess. Critics suggest the story is a complex...

The Turn of the Screw explores madness and sanity through the unreliable narration of the governess, whose perceptions of ghostly apparitions and the children's behavior are ambiguous. Her mental...

Evidence of sexual hysteria/repression: 1. Isolation 2. Depression 3. Stress (of caretaker) 4. Sexual Frustration 5. Loneliness (the need to find a savior) 6. Reading way too much into Peter Quint's...

The most accurate interpretation of "The Turn of the Screw" is subjective due to Henry James's deliberate ambiguity and lack of definitive information, allowing for multiple outcomes. The governess,...

The governess is neither hero nor villain. She is a woman who acts in the best interests of herself and the children she has been trusted to care for, but her actions are misguided.

1. New Historicism is a critical reading method used to analyze the cultural and historical context of literary works. Based on the historicist concept that literature is not an isolated object but...

The ambiguity in "The Turn of the Screw" serves multiple purposes. It reflects the societal constraints of the time, where explicit discussions of taboo subjects like sexual abuse were avoided,...