The Turn of the Screw is a novella written by Henry James. Originally published in 1898, it is ostensibly a ghost story that has lent itself well to operatic and film adaptation. Due to its ambiguous content and narrative skill, The Turn of the Screw became a favorite text of New Criticism. The reader is challenged to determine if the protagonist, a nameless governess, is reliably reporting events or instead is some kind of neurotic with an overheated imagination. The Turn of the Screw is a little-known 20th century English opera composed by Benjamin Britten, based on the novel The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. ... Turn of the Screw is the second album from the punk music band 1208. ... Image File history File links The_Turn_of_the_Screw. ... For other uses of this name, see Henry James (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A novella is a narrative work of prose fiction somewhat longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. ... Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole Gothic fiction is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN-13 represented as EAN-13 bar code (in this case ISBN 978-3-16-148410-0) The International Standard Book Number, ISBN, is a unique[1] commercial book identifier barcode. ... A novella is a narrative work of prose fiction somewhat longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. ... For other uses of this name, see Henry James (disambiguation). ... See also: 1897 in literature, other events of 1898, 1899 in literature, list of years in literature. ... A ghost story may be any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or the belief of some character(s) in them. ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... “Moving picture” redirects here. ... Look up ambiguity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... New Criticism was the dominant trend in English and American literary criticism of the early twentieth century, from the 1920s to the early 1960s. ... A governess is a female employee from outside of the family who teaches children within the family circle. ... Illustration by Gustave Doré for Baron Münchhausen: tall tales, such as those of the Baron, often feature unreliable narrators. ... A neurosis, in psychoanalytic theory, is an ineffectual coping strategy that Sigmund Freud suggested was caused by emotions from past experience overwhelming or interfering with present experience. ... Imagination is accepted as the innate ability and process to invent partial or complete personal realms within the mind from elements derived from sense perceptions of the shared world. ...

To further muddy the waters, her written account of the experience—a frame tale—is being read many years later at a Christmas house party by someone who claims to have known her. The account lends itself to many different interpretations, including those of a Freudian nature. Many critics have tried to determine what exactly is the nature of evil within the story. A frame story (also frame tale, frame narrative, etc) is a narrative technique whereby a main story is composed, at least in part, for the purpose of organizing a set of shorter stories, each of which is a story within a story. ... Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... Sigmund Freud His famous couch Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856 - September 23, 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology, a movement that popularized the theory that unconscious motives control much behavior. ...

Plot summary

An unnamed narrator listens to a male friend reading a manuscript written by a former governess whom the latter claims to have known and who is now dead. The manuscript tells the story of how the young governess is hired by a man who has found himself responsible for his niece and nephew after the death of their parents. He lives in London and has no interest whatsoever in the children. The boy is at a boarding school whilst his sister, Flora, is living at the country home where she is cared for by the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose. He gives the governess full charge of the children and makes it clear he never wants to hear from her again regarding them. The governess travels to her new employer's house and begins her duties. Shortly thereafter, the boy, Miles, turns up after being expelled from his school. The governess infers that the headmaster feels that Miles is a threat to the other boys. This article is about the domestic group. ... This article is about the domestic group. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A boarding school is a usually fee-paying school where some or all pupils not only study, but also live during term time, with their fellow students and possibly teachers. ...

The governess begins to see and hear strange things. She learns that her predecessor, a Miss Jessel, and her lover Peter Quint (another former servant of the household), a clever but abusive man, died under curious circumstances. Gradually, she becomes convinced that the pair are somehow using the children to continue their relationship from beyond the grave. The governess takes action against the perceived threat, with tragic consequences.

Major themes

Throughout his career James was attracted to the ghost story genre. But he was not fond of literature's stereotypical ghosts, the old-fashioned screamers and slashers. Rather, he usually created ghosts that were eerie extensions of everyday reality—"the strange and sinister embroidered on the very type of the normal and easy," as he put it in the New York Edition preface to his final ghost story, The Jolly Corner. Volume 16 of the 1960s Scribners reprint of theNew York Edition The New York Edition of Henry James fiction was a 24-volume collection of the Anglo-American writers novels, novellas and short stories, originally published in the U.S. and the U.K. in 1907-1909. ... The Jolly Corner is a short story by Henry James first published in The English Review in December, 1908. ...

He certainly followed this formula in The Turn of the Screw. In fact, some critics have wondered if he didn't intend the "strange and sinister" to be embroidered only on the governess' mind and not on objective reality. The result has been a long-standing critical dispute over the reality of the ghosts and the sanity of the governess. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Reality, in everyday usage, means the state of things as they actually exist. ... Sanity considered as a legal term denotes that an individual is of sound mind and therefore can bear legal responsibility for his or her actions. ...

Beyond the dispute, critics have closely examined James' narrative technique in the story. The framing introduction and subsequent first-person narrative by the governess have been studied by theorists of fiction interested in the power of fictional narratives to convince or even manipulate readers. First-person narrative is a literary technique in which the story is narrated by one character, who explicitly refers to him or herself in the first person, that is, I. the narrator is a fool putting his nose into the storytelling exercise. ... An illustration from Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland, depicting the fictional protagonist, Alice, playing a fantastical game of croquet. ...

The imagery of The Turn of the Screw is reminiscent of the gothic genre. The emphasis on old and mysterious buildings throughout the novella reinforces this motif. James also relates the amount of light present in various scenes to the strength of the supernatural or ghostly forces apparently at work. Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole Gothic fiction is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. ...

Literary significance & criticism

The dispute over the reality of the ghosts has taken an actual toll on some critics, most notably Edmund Wilson. He was one of the first proponents of the insane-governess theory. But he was eventually forced to recant this view under fire from opposing critics who harped on the governess' point-by-point description of Quint. Then John Silver ("A Note on the Freudian Reading of 'The Turn of the Screw'" American Literature, 1957) pointed out hints in the story that the governess might have gained previous knowledge of Quint's appearance in non-supernatural ways. This induced Wilson to recant his recantation and go back to his original view that the governess was unbalanced and the ghosts existed only in her imagination. Edmund Wilson (May 8, 1895 – June 12, 1972) was an American writer, noted chiefly for his literary criticism. ...

William Veeder sees Miles's eventual death as induced by the governess. But he traces the governess's motive back through two larger strands: English imperialism (based on the oblique reference in the introduction to India, where the parents of Miles and Flora died) and the way patriarchy raises its daughters. By a complex psychoanalytic reading, Veeder concludes that the governess takes out her repressed rage toward her father and the master of Bly on Miles. This article lacks information on the importance of the subject matter. ... For the computer game, see Imperialism (computer game). ... Look up patriarchy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Psychoanalysis is the revelation of unconscious relations, in a systematic way through an associative process. ...

Other critics, however, have defended the governess strongly. They point out that James' letters, his New York Edition preface, and his Notebooks contain no definite evidence that The Turn of the Screw was intended as anything except a bona fide ghost story. James' Notebooks entry indicates that he got the initial idea for the tale from Edward White Benson, the Archbishop of Canterbury. This interesting origin, like almost everything else about the story, has generated critical commentary. The Notebooks of Henry James are private notes made by the Anglo-American novelist and critic. ... Edward White Benson (July 14, 1829 – October 11, 1896) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1882 until his death. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader and senior clergyman of the Church of England, recognized by convention as the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ...

Besides the dispute over the reality of the ghosts, critics have also tried to trace possible sources for characters in the tale. For instance, some critics have suggested that Quint, given his very Irish description, was inspired at least partly by George Bernard Shaw. Again, there's no evidence in James' letters or his other comments on the story to support or refute such speculation. George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856–2 November 1950) was an Irish dramatist, literary critic, and socialist. ...

One thing is clear: The Turn of the Screw continues to be the subject of extensive critical comment. The tale has also remained one of James' most popular works with the general reader. In odd testimony to the story's appeal, a glimpse of the book was included at a key moment in ABC's television show Lost. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... Lost is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe-winning American serial drama television series that follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a passenger jet flying between Australia and the United States crashes somewhere in the South Pacific. ...

Allusions/references from other works

An opera, The Turn of the Screw, was written by Benjamin Britten in 1954. The Turn of the Screw has been filmed many times with the best regarded version being Jack Clayton's 1961 film entitled The Innocents, co-written by Truman Capote and starring Deborah Kerr. The story has also been converted into a ballet by William Tuckett. The 2001 movie, The Others, echoes some elements of characterization and setting from The Turn of the Screw, though the movie eventually develops in a very different direction. An episode of CSI, first broadcast May 6, 2004, was titled "Turn of the Screws" and contained several references to James' work. The third episode of the second season of Lost refers to a film reel hidden on a shelf behind the book titled "Turn of the Screw". The 1972 movie Dr. Phibes Rises Again, which shares the topic of a relationship beyond death with James' novel, depicts the character Baker reading a copy of The Turn of the Screw & The Aspern Papers before being killed. The Turn of the Screw is a little-known 20th century English opera composed by Benjamin Britten, based on the novel The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. ... Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH (November 22, 1913 Lowestoft, Suffolk - December 4, 1976 Aldeburgh, Suffolk) was a British composer, conductor, and pianist. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jack Clayton (March 1, 1921–February 26, 1995) was a British film director who specialised in bringing literary works to the screen. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Innocents is a 1961 film based on the novel The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. ... Truman Capote (pronounced ) (30 September 1924 – 25 August 1984) was an American writer whose non-fiction, stories, novels and plays are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffanys (1958) and In Cold Blood (1965), which he labeled a non-fiction novel. ... Deborah Kerr, CBE (born 30 September 1921) is a Golden Globe award winning Scottish actress who is a recipient of an Academy Honorary Award for a motion picture career that has always represented Perfection, Discipline and Elegance. ... The Others is a 2001 psychological thriller film by the Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar, starring Nicole Kidman. ... CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a popular Alliance Atlantis/CBS police procedural television series, running since October 2000, about a team of forensic scientists. ... Turn of the Screws is the twenty-first episode from the fourth season of the popular American forensic crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada. ... Lost is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe-winning American serial drama television series that follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a passenger jet flying between Australia and the United States crashes somewhere in the South Pacific. ...

Other versions include an early live television play The Turn of the Screw (1959) directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Ingrid Bergman; Dan Curtis's well-regarded TV movie The Turn of the Screw (1974) with Lynn Redgrave; a 1974 adaptation for French TV; The Turn of the Screw (1982), which is actually a German-made operatic adaptation; a 1989 adaptation for Shelley Duval's Nightmare Classics starring Amy Irving; Rusty Lemorande's The Turn of the Screw (1994) with Patsy Kensit and Julian Sands, which updated the story to the 1960s; the TV movie The Haunting of Helen Walker/The Turn of the Screw (1995) starring Valerie Bertinelli; a theatrical adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher in which one woman plays the governess and a man fills the rest of the roles; Presence of Mind (1999), an acclaimed Spanish-made adaptation with Sophie Ward and Harvey Keitel; and a British TV adaptation The Turn of the Screw (1999) with Jodhi May and Colin Firth. Michael Winner's The Nightcomers (1972) purports to be a prequel that concerns itself with the relationship between Quint and Miss Jessel. The film In A Dark Place (2006) is a modern interpretation of the story. The Quentin storyline from the American soap opera Dark Shadows (1966) borrowed some elements from James' fiction. John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film director. ...   (pronounced in Swedish, but usually in English, IPA notation) (August 29, 1915 – August 29, 1982) was a three-time Academy Award-winning and two-time Emmy Award-winning Swedish actress. ... Lynn Rachel Redgrave OBE (born 8 March 1943 in London) is an English actress born into the famous acting Redgrave family. ... Amy Irving (born September 10, 1953 in Palo Alto, California) is an American actress. ... Patricia Jude Frances Kensit (born 4 March 1968 in Hounslow, Middlesex) is an English actress and singer, and is also well-known for her three celebrity marriages. ... Julian Sands (born January 15, 1958) is a British actor. ... Jeffrey Hatcher is a playwright. ... Presence of Mind is a 1999 feature film. ... Sophie Ward (born December 30, 1964 in London), is an English actor and the daughter of actor, Simon Ward. ... Harvey Keitel (born May 13, 1939) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor from New York City. ... Jodhi May (born 1st May 1975) is a British actress best known for her work on controversial costume dramas. ... Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English film, television and stage actor. ... Winner at a book signing for his autobiography Michael Winner (born 30 October 1935) is an English film director and producer, active in both Europe and the United States, also known as a food critic. ... For Philippine soap opera, see Teleserye. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

References

• The Turn of the Screw: Authoritative Text, Contexts, Criticism edited by Deborah Esch and Jonathan Warren (New York: W.W. Norton & Company 1999) ISBN 0-393-95904-X
• The Tales of Henry James by Edward Wagenknecht (New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. 1984) ISBN 0-8044-2957-X

Edward (Charles) Wagenknecht (March 28, 1900 - May 24, 2004) was a U.S. literary critic and teacher, who specialized in 19th century American literature. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Turn of the Screw

• Project Gutenberg text of The Turn of the Screw (1898 book version)
• The Turn of the Screw reproduced online
• Author's preface to the New York Edition text of The Turn of the Screw (1908)
• Note on the various texts of The Turn of the Screw at the Library of America web site
• The Turn of the Screw (1959) at the Internet Movie Database
• The Innocents (1961) at the Internet Movie Database
• The Innocents (1961) at the TCM Movie Database
• The Turn of the Screw (1999) at the Internet Movie Database
• Presence of Mind (1999) at the Internet Movie Database
• The Others (2001) at the Internet Movie Database