Ambiguity in Henry James
Stories by Henry James contain much ambiguity. Especially in The Turn of the Screw, there are so many ambiguous points that readers cannot clearly understand what happens in the story. However, I think James don't want us to know the whole story. He may rather want to make us enjoy thinking about the details by ourselves. First, the story, The Turn of the Screw, seems ghost story, but it also has an element of love story. In the prologue, Douglas says that his story is of "dreadfulness," "uncanny ugliness," "horror," and "pain" (p,116.) At the same time, he also says, "She [the governess] was in love" (p,117.) He even says, "I liked her extremely and am glad to this day to she liked me too" (ibid.) Like Mrs. Griffin, it is natural to think this is a story about love. In addition, Douglas gives these comments on the relationship between the governess and the Master, "that's the beauty of her passion," "she mentioned to me that when, for a moment, disburdened, delighted, he held her hand, thanking her for the sacrifice, she already felt rewarded" (p,122.) We can notice that the governess likes the Master from these points. The story Douglas told to the people also has both sides, although there are a lot of desc
Here I don't intend to say the governess really meet the ghosts, but it is clear that this story is full of "dreadful" scenes. ) Moreover, she continues to say, "what [What] I was doing was what he had earnestly hoped and directly asked of me, and that I could, after all, do it proved even a greater joy than I had expected" (p, 135. However "dreadful" the story is, she is thinking about not only the ghosts but the Master. Through Douglas, the Master also indirectly explains the governess, the friends of Douglas and us why he must take care of the two children, how they live in Bly and what he want the governess to do. As I said before, we are not taught even what kind of story The Turn of the Screw is. To be the best reader of his story, I recommend that you use your imagination. However, his description is quite detailed when he is writing trivial things. In the case of Miss Jessel, she dies at home, not in Bly. Grose did not tell the governess that Quint was handsome, looked like an actor, never put his hat, and wore the Master's coat, she would not think that the ghost she saw is him. The reason why they die is not unsure, according to Mrs. In chapter twenty, Flore never answers, "I see Miss Jessel," though the governess persistently ask her a question like, "Where, my pet, is Miss Jessel?," "She's there, she's there!," "She' there, you little unhappy thing---there, there, there, and you know it as well as you know me!" (p, 212-213. Grose is not the narrator of the story, she provides the governess with important hints concerning Quint and Miss Jessel. In the story, there are so many people freely give information that his reader can join them. For all, all Miles clearly confess is that he "took" (p, 232,) "opened" (ibid.
Common topics in this essay:
Especially Screw,
Henry James,
Miles Flora,
Miss Jessel,
Peter Quint---,
Douglas Master,
Jessel She's,
Sherlock Hormes',
Laura London,
Master Quint,
story screw,
henry james,
miss jessel,
care children,
friends douglas,
governess douglas,
ghost story,
feel henry james,
master story,
douglas care,
story douglas,
douglas care children,
children live bly,
care children live,
friends douglas care,
|
Acceptance Essays
