The Ghosts in Henry James' Turn of the Screw
Turn Of The Screw
In the book Turn of the Screw by Henry James the Governess believes that she has many interactions with these ghosts that haunt the mansion. The Governess is the only one who can see the ghost so the other members of the house have a very hard time believing her when she talk talks about them. The ghosts are not real; instead they are a creation of the governess' mind derived from her intense desire for companionship and a sense of importance. The ghosts are a figment of the Governess' imagination. She is a lonely individual who seeks friends and excitement in her dreary life. Seeing the ghosts gives her a sense of prominence in the family. When the Governess first sees the ghost of Peter Quint she does not want to believe that it is actually real. She describes the ghost as a well dressed gentleman standing in one of the towers watching her. Through her conversations with Mrs.Grose, the governess comes aware of the role that Peter Quint played in the family years ago. Peter Quint, the former valet of the master, is the one who is believed to be the ghost that the Governess spots. "I should serve as an expiatory victim and guard the tranquility of my companions. The children, in especial, I should thus fence about and absolutely save"(James p25) She feels that guarding their innocence is her duty of being Governess. Mrs. Grose who listens to the stories of the Governess about the ghost sightings tries to believe the Governess but also tries to the hide the accusations from the children. The Governess is creating this out of her imagination and is having a great impact on Mrs.Grose's
In the book Turn of the Screw by Henry James the Governess believes that she has many interactions with these ghosts that haunt the mansion. The Governess is the only one who can see the ghost so the other members of the house have a very hard time believing her when she talk talks about them. The ghosts are not real; instead they are a creation of the governess' mind derived from her intense desire for companionship and a sense of importance. The ghosts are a figment of the Governess' imagination. She is a lonely individual who seeks friends and excitement in her dreary life. Seeing the ghosts gives her a sense of prominence in the family. When the Governess first sees the ghost of Peter Quint she does not want to believe that it is actually real. She describes the ghost as a well dressed gentleman standing in one of the towers watching her. Through her conversations with Mrs.Grose, the governess comes aware of the role that Peter Quint played in the family years ago. Peter Quint, the former valet of the master, is the one who is believed to be the ghost that the Governess spots. "I should serve as an expiatory victim and guard the tranquility of my companions. The children, in especial, I should thus fence about and absolutely save"(James p25) She feels that guarding their innocence is her duty of being Governess. Mrs. Grose who listens to the stories of the Governess about the ghost sightings tries to believe the Governess but also tries to the hide the accusations from the children. The Governess is creating this out of her imagination and is having a great impact on Mrs.Grose's