So first off, Turn of the Screw has proved itself to be a very interesting read. Going into the book, I wasn't entirely sure what the plot line was about; I think vaguely, in the back of my mind, I was mixing it up with Rape of the Lock. Anyways, finishing the first four chapters was pretty easy for me as they contained plenty of suspense and mystery. However, there were a few things that I couldn't help but wonder about. For starters, I think it's a little suspicious that both Flora and her brother, and Miles seem so perfect. In fact, whenever the main character, the governess, mentions them, she only uses words such as, "charming," "most beautiful," "divine." There's also the matter of Miles getting kicked out of boarding school because of a crime so heinous, the headmaster does not even mention it in his letter. Instead of investigating this further, the governess simply shrugs it off claiming that maybe the school was too harsh for the boy.
Also there are two other characters in the story that I'll definitely be paying close attention to: the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose, and that man that the governess first saw on one of her usual walks. Mrs. Grose's character is definitely a bit dubious; when the governess first reaches Bly, it is noticed that the servant is, "so glad ... as to be positively on her guard against showing it too much," (299). When the governess questions about the former woman who held her position, Mrs. Grose dodges the subject and does not elaborate on the death (which by the way, did anyone ever see this death mentioned earlier in the story? It seemed to come out of nowhere). Then of course is the anonymous man in the tower. At first I thought it was maybe just the Master returning to visit his niece and nephew but then as the man was walking away, "He stopped at the other corner, but less long, and even as he turned away still markedly fixed me" (312). I don't know about everybody else, but when I read this I pictured an owl turning his head all the way because I can't imagine any other way that a person can "turn away" yet still hold their gaze on somebody.
The biggest thing that I think we should all pay attention to, however, is the narrator herself. As I researched more about the author, Henry James, I noticed that many wrote about his common use of unreliable narrators. The governess doesn't reveal very much about herself and it's possible that she could be delusional. She hears footsteps and a baby crying her first night meaning that either the house is haunted, or she's imagining things.
Overall, this has been a very interesting read so far and I'm excited to see what happens next!
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I agree that the children are two characters that we should pay special attention to. Flora is particularly interesting to me. She is introduced as a beautiful, angelic, innocent little girl (299), but as the story continues it seems as though Flora knows more than she lets on. When Miss Jessel first appears, Flora becomes very quiet and she makes an effort to not look toward the ghost. The narrator recalls, “within a minute, all sounds from her had previously dropped…also within the minute, she had, in her play, turned her back to the water” (328). This strange behavior convinces the narrator that Flora already knows about the ghosts even though she will never admit to it. I think it will be very interesting to find out what exactly Flora knows and how she is connected to the ghosts.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on keeping on eye on Mrs. Grose. To me she seems to be a character that is almost playing dumb, and seeming to not tell the whole truth.. she almost seems like she is hiding something from the new governess. For example, on pages 318-319 the governess is explaining her first run on with Quint and after asking questions for a while Mrs. Grose subtly changes the subject.. "pulling herself together, turned to me with abrupt inconsequence. "It's time we should be at Church"
ReplyDeleteThis woman seems sketchy to me.
I disagree with what you said about the governess being delusional. A lot of weird supernatural things take place in this story, but the one that made me believe that the governess isn't insane is when Miles is out on the yard. It's just creepy, a little 10 year old boy runs outside in the middle of the night. Miles excuse was he wanted the governess to think him capable of being "bad", but its just too weird. I don't believe in ghosts, but in "Turn of the Screw" I do believe that there is something unhuman conversing with the children and that the governess isn't imaging it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Maddy. I definately think that Mrs. Grose has something to hide. From the very moment the readers are introduced to her she comes off as a rather sketchy character to me. She never seems to offer up information to the governess in regards to the ghosts, but when directly asked she seems to have quite a bit of knowledge to share. One would think that she would have the best interests of the children at heart and that sharing what she knows would help keep them safe. I have a feeling that she might be out to get the children or the governess.
ReplyDeleteI Agree with Eura in the fact that the Governess is imagining things. She is in unaware of her surroundings and seems to be looking for something to be wrong. Like when she saw Ms. Jessel, she has never known her or her name, yet she insists that she saw her. How?
ReplyDeleteI also believe that the Governess is trying to be a hero, to save the kids from any danger, and maybe prove herself and, possibly, meet the master who she is so taken with.
I'm just really creeped out by the two kids. I mean Miles is just plain creepy and Flora just makes my skin crawl. It's not natural for two kids to be SO perfect. I also think it's just super bizarre that no one wanted to know why Miles isn't allowed back at school. I mean what could that boy have done that was so wrong? Then again, if he is in cahoots with the ghosts, anything is possible.
ReplyDeleteI think Mrs. Grose is just oblivious. I feel like she doesn't really know what's going on, but also that she doesn't want to know. She speculates that it's Quint and Ms. Jessel, but doesn't actually know nor want to.
Mrs. Arko, and Sarah above me, mentioned that the Governess is trying to be a hero and save the kids from danger, which I can agree with, under the assumption that the kids are not already with the ghosts. But I have this small hunch that the kids are already working with the ghosts, or are like possessed. Something about the two of them just bothers me.
And, yes, I also thought of an owl :)
I think that the governess was delusional throughout the entire story, and all of the "ghost sightings" were made up in her head. The only person who ever admits to seeing the ghosts is the governess. Ms. Grose never sees the ghosts, but only seems to believe in them. The children also never say that they have ever seen ghosts. The governess doesn't even bother to ask the kids about it because "they will lie." I think that the governess really didn't want to ask the kids because she was just plain crazy, or she knew the kids hadn't seen the ghosts because she deliberately invented the whole story.
ReplyDelete