Cotton's Survival Guide
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
 The Turn of the Screw |  Henry James |
|---|---|
 Mrs.Grose, Flora and the Governess |  Miles and Flora |
 Peter Quint and Miles |  Flora |
 Peter Quint and the Governess |  Peter Quint and Miss Jessel |
 Miles, Flora, and the Governess |
Symbols
Lights:
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Candlelight created a sense of safety
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At the stairs candle is blown out and Quint is seen in the twilight
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Miles is caught on the lawn in the bright moomlight
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Governess awakes to her candle being blown out
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Miles blows the Governess' candle leaving them in dark (dark is a sense of protection loss)
Themes
Corruption of Innocence:
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Governess views children as innocent and angelic
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Everytime the ghost appears, the Governess debates on whether Miles is "bad" and quesions Mrs. Grose about his expulsion
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Miles sneakes out at night, to prove he's bad
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Governess fears the ghosts will take the children or have an influence on them
Characters
The Governess
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Protagonist, frame story told in her point of view
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Feels that she must protect the children aganist the "ghosts"
Mrs. Grose
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The servant at Bly
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Has worked at Bly for many years and also looks after the children
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To an extent, may be considered Governess's companion
Miles
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10 years old
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The Governess looks over him
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Is well behaved but acts out to appear bad
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Never reveals anything from the past
Flora
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8 years old
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The Governess looks over her
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Miles' sister
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Seen as beautiful by Governess
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Her life, according to the Governess, belongs to Miss Jessel
Miles' and Flora's Uncle
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Head master of Bly
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Wants nothing to do with the chidren
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Governess is attracted to him
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He's rich and friendly
Peter Quint
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Former worker ar Bly who recently died
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According to Mrs. Grose was "too free" with everyone , to Governess he's a "horror," who's after Miles
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Spent lots of time with Miles
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Was drunk, slipped down stairs and died
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Had relationship with Miss Jessel
Miss Jessel
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Former Governess at Bly who died by drowning herself in the lake
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Was a lady of the"infamous" morning in black
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Is after Flora
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Was with Quint's baby
Luke
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Servant at Bly
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Instructed to give Governess' letter to the uncle
Douglas
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Tells Governess' story
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He was in love with Governess who became his sisters Governess after her time at Bly
Major Conflicts
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Governess struggles to learn about Bly's past and Miles' expulsion
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Governess believes that Peter Quint and Miss Jessel are haunting Bly to get the lives of the children
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Miles dies
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Governess writes the letter to the uncle
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Mrs. Grose knows more than what she says
Motifs
Vision
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Refrences to eyes and vision emphasize that sight is unrealiable
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Governess encounters Quint and Miss Jessel, when she first sees Quint, she said "bewilderment of vision"
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Governess locks eyes with both ghosts and can tell their intensions from looking into their eyes
Silence
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Sound signal of life and nature
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Sees Quint and all birds and rusting leaves quiet
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Sees Quint on the stairs in dead silence, she breaks silence to see if the unnatural event is truly happening
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Flora is in silence staring out the window at what the Governess believes is a ghost
Setting
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1840 during Victorian Era
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Masion in Bly in Essex England
Author's Purpose
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To scare the audience of the Victorian era
Significant Quotes
"The radiant image of my little girl, the vision of whose angelic beauty." ~The Governess
"He was incredibly beautiful...everything but a sort of passion of tenderness from him was swept away by his presence." ~The Governess
"He is a horror." ~The Governess
"I prayed to God to forgive me for seeming to see that...her incomparable childish beauty failed." ~The Governess
"She isn't there, little lady, and nobody's there— and you never see nothing, my sweet!" ~Mrs. Grose
"Take me away , take me away— oh take me away from her!" ~Flora
"It's there— the coward horror for the last time." ~The Governess
"Is she here?" ~Miles
"It was I who blew it, dear!" ~Miles
