In The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, the black clothing worn by the ghosts of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel foreshadows evil and darkness throughout the novel. Throughout the novel, James creates a character that is "in the dark." The phrase "in the dark" means to be without knowledge. The character "in the dark," Mrs. Grose, is the only character throughout the novel that cannot see the evil ghosts; Mrs. Grose's inability to see the ghosts plays a major role in the novel. Black clothes that are worn, in American culture, symbolize death. Two of the six main characters are ghosts; they are always dressed in black. Mrs. Grose is the housekeeper at Bly, the haunted mansion where the novel is set. Mrs. Grose is a very illiterate woman; she in unable to read and write. Because she lacks this knowledge, Mrs. Grose cannot see the ghosts; her mind is not able to take her to that higher level of imagination. To develop an imagination, one must read and paint pictures in their mind of descriptions in the reading. Mrs. Grose becomes familiar with the term "ghosts" because it is so often used by the two children and the governess. Although she is familiar with the term "ghosts," she doesn't have an idea of what the word means.
             The children and the governess can see Peter Quint and Miss Jessel. They are very intelligent people. The children and the governess are smart because they were very well-educated. The fine education they received was a result of the fortune they grew up with. All three were born wealthy children with smart ancestors. Mrs. Grose didn't have all of these fabulous fortunes, and she doesn't have an advanced mind like the children and the governess. Because their minds were so advanced, the governess, Miles, and Flora were able to see the ghosts, while Mrs. Grose was not able to see them. In the following lines, the book shows the knowledge of the governess and the lack of knowledge of Mrs. Grose: " 'She's there...the...