Ambiguity In The Turn Of The Screw

Evil influences of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel affect the children at Bly as consequences of the governess’s obsession with the apparitions in Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw. Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw is one of most celebrated ghost stories of all time. The novella is set in a small town named “Bly” where the governess assumes the duties with her ward of two children: Miles and Flora (5). As the protagonist – the governess narrates the story in first-person; thus, the reliability of the story is arguably biased due to her comments and thoughts in the text. The author deliberately encloses elements of ambiguity within its’ gothic setting, which asserts mystery in the mind of the reader, hence relating the story to many dark
Grose and Flora’s statements in the text suggest that the sightings are only visible to the governess. In chapter twelve, the governess talks about the children with Mrs. Grose: “even while they pretend to be lost in their fairytale they’re steeped in their vision of the dead restored” (47). The governess further explains: “He’s not reading to her . . . they’re talking of them – they’re talking horrors!” (47). The above quotations from the text confirm that the governess believes that the children are under the evil influence despite their innocent actions. The apparition of Miss Jessel appears on the opposite side of the bank when the governess and Mrs. Grose attend to Flora by the lake. When the governess points out the apparition to Mrs. Grose, she responds: “What a dreadful turn, to be sure, miss! Where on earth do you see anything?” (71). The governess tries to convince Mrs Grose: “You don’t see her exactly as we see? – you mean to say you don’t now – now? She’s as big as a blazing fire! Only look, dearest woman, look—!” (71). The governess then turns to Flora for answers: “I don’t know what you mean. I see nobody. I see nothing. I never have. I think you are cruel. I don’t like you!” (71). The responses of Mrs. Grose and Flora suggest that the apparitions are visible only to the governess even though the
Instead of protecting the children, the governess puts forth her obsession of the apparitions before her wards of the children seeking answers for the supernatural sightings. The supernatural element of the novella is significant as the sightings are only visible to the governess. One may argue that the governess deliberately abuses the children and murders Miles because of her insanity of seeing non-existent beings. Another may argue that the evil spirits of Miss Jessel and Peter Quint are interacting with Flora and Miles as per the governess’s observations. Henry James’s well-crafted elements of ambiguity leave the novella open for criticism. The apparitions at Bly: Peter Quint and Miss Jessel become the obsession of the governess and her interference causes the morbid spirits to harm the children leading to the death of