The Turn Of The Screw Persuasive Essay

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is a story that calls for the reader to question the sanity of the main character, the Governess. The Governess is sane but becomes mildly mentally disturbed as she independently experiences hallucinations. She is mostly sane because she is aware of her surroundings, she can make rational decisions and she has had mild hallucinations. The Governess is sane because she is aware of her surroundings throughout the story. She states that she , “was...to protect and defend the little creatures in the world the most bereaved and the most lovable”. (James 36) The governess is aware that her mission is to protect the children. It proves that she is sane since she is able to understand that she must always protect the kids, from the ghosts. The governess’ inner thoughts claim that, “the
In the novel, the Governess claims that, “it was a trap...to [her] imagination…[and her] vanity”. (James 35) Although she states that her mentality is questionable it does not mean she is not sane. To be sane does not mean that the individual cannot have a little imagination. One can be aware but can also question reality at times. As human beings, perfection is impossible. Since the Governess is able to perform a reflection of the conscience, she is sane. Only a sane person is able to reflect upon their mental state and is able to act upon their actions. Some may argue that the Governess cannot be sane because she did not do her job as caretaker for the children, and let Miles die in the end of the novel, when “his little heart...had stopped”. (James 87) The Governess cannot be insane, even though Miles died. The Governess did not smother Miles to death, rather, he died from the shock of Peter Quint’s appearance. The Governess is sane because she did her best to protect the children. A ghost is of the supernatural and it is beyond the reach of a human to interfere with one of another