...Turning the Screw: Analysing Douglas’s Tale In this essay I will be exploring the narrative style present in “Turn of the Screw” by Henry James and discussing the character called Douglas as a frame narrator for the governess’s tale. I will explore the reliability of Douglas and his relationship with the governess and look at any bias caused by this relationship. I will be analysing the narrative style of the novella, and discussing how this style contributes to the development of the story. Along with this, I will be comparing “Turn of the Screw” to traditional ghost stories, and discussing whether there are differences between the two. Douglas is presented from the outset of the story as a frame narrator in that he begins his tale by offering to recite a manuscript written by his sister’s former governess, who is a person who Douglas holds in high esteem. This act of recounting another person’s story, or presenting a story within a story, is a clear indication that the type of narrative present in the book is frame narrative (Frame Story - Wikipedia, n.d.). If we look at this fact in terms of the quote presented within the study material, we notice that Douglas places particular emphasis on his story, proclaiming to be “quite too horrible” (pg 1). Due to the fact that Douglas is a frame narrator rather than an omnipresent narrator, he comes complete with a range of human faults, including exaggeration and bias. The introduction of the story adds to this idea, as Douglas betrays...
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...Turn of the screw was published in 1898 and written by Henry James. It is a Gothic novella detailing the disturbing and ambiguous events that a young governess experiences during her time at Bly, the country house is which the children and their caretakers live. From the beginning of her stay at Bly and up until the end of the novella, the young Governess is plagued by visions of spectral figures (a man named Quint and a woman called Miss Jessel) that seem to take particular interest in the Governesses young charges( a boy named Miles and his younger sister named Flora). It is hinted, by the head of the house, that the spectral figures, which were previous caretakers of the children before their ambiguous deaths, engaged in illicit activities...
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...EN1020: First Assessment – Secondary Sources Guy Davidson, "'Almost a sense of property': Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, Modernism, and commodity culture", Texas Studies in Literature and Language, 53.4 (2011), 455-78. In Davidson’s critical text, a relationship between a sense of belonging and property and the manifestations of the ghosts is presented. The way in which the Governess acts can be explained now through the idea of needing to find a sense of belonging on a world and home that isn’t hers. As a servant the Governess cannot feel at peace in a house, especially a house that has no male authoritative figure. Therefore it could be seen that the ghosts is her subconscious creating a Master to obey, i.e. through Peter Quint, and...
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...How successfully does the black-and-white film version of The Turn of the Screw, The Innocents (Jack Clayton, 1961), render the ambiguity of James' original text? Ambiguity, the art of deliberately creating something that can have more than one meaning, lends itself to the written word without difficulty. A written story can involve ambiguity in the characters, plot, narrative - every factor in the story can have to it a sense of uncertainty. However, uncertainty concerning ambiguity is subtly different from uncertainty involving vagueness; the former is a deliberate ploy by the writer to leave interpretation open to the reader's own imagination, whereas the latter comes about due to a lack of detail delivered on the part of the writer, probably due to lack of talent or attention. With The Turn of the Screw, Henry James crafted an immensely complex and highly ambiguous book - there is nothing vague here; when Jack Clayton decided to make it into a film, he faced an upward struggle. Adapting a book for a film is always beset with difficulties - the written word has the ability to be far more subtle than the projected frame - but capturing the ambiguity of The Turn of the Screw would be immensely difficult. Words do not have to be precise in their meaning but a picture on a cinema screen is just a picture - there is little subtlety or uncertainty. A director has to employ imaginative techniques to make a viewer doubt what he is so evidently seeing. This was especially...
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...Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” Goodman Brown was not asleep in this short story. As I read, I believed that Goodman did indeed meet the devil in the forest. If he had indeed dreamt about the trip he was sent on and meeting the devil, I think his nervousness would have been described in more detail then it was. Concentrating more on the anxiety he was feeling would have led the reader to believe that the events were not real. I also saw this story as an allegory. I saw the allegory after reading the story two times. I think it is centered on Goodman Brown having a bumpy past and that he wants to go beyond his past and reach heaven. The characters names also show the religious allegory in the story. The names Goodman and Faith are used and the characters are then soon faced with terrifying evil. I think that Goodman Brown and his wife, Faith’s names symbolize that they are good, religious people and that Goodman is making up everyone being evil in his head. I found an essay by Alexa Carlson that described the symbolism in light vs. dark, forest vs. town, nature vs. human, and fantasy vs. reality. In her paper, Essay #1: Young Goodman Brown, she states that “…fantasy vs. reality are employed to reinforce the idea that good and evil have been set up as strict categories into which no one, not even the religious figures of the community, fit neatly.” As she later writes, if Hawthorne was apprehensive about “what he considers right and wrong in terms of human behavior, I...
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...The Turn of the screw Superficially, Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw seems to reinforce the status quo of American literature as male, whereby men are viewed as having power over women leaving women to become mere objects. James creates a nameless female protagonist whose story is told through the guise of a male narrator. She becomes an object viewed by Douglas’s audience and is used simply as means for the master on Harley Street to avoid being bothered by his charges. She is then set up as naïve and love-struck, willing to do just about anything, including risking her own sanity, for the sake of keeping the master undisturbed. However, on closer examination, James actually creates a novella that subverts the traditional idea of men having power over women as it is the governess who has the final word in her story, not the male Douglas, and it is the male heir Miles who becomes the scapegoat leaving the governess free, “awfully clever and nice”. James’s unfinished frame tale creates frustration and confusion but his experiment with form also draws attention to what has largely been left unconscious. Through Douglas’s initial telling of the governess’s story she is reduced to a nameless object that they all raptly listen about rather than listen to. While at the start, Douglas does have power over the governess’s story, in the end it is the governess who has the final word and Douglas, who disappears after only the first seven pages, is never to be heard from again. James...
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...Through ambiguity, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James accomplishes multiple attributes of a traditional gothic story. This ambiguity, however, spurs some debate regarding the plot of the story, whether it is a ghost story or psychological horror. The protagonist, the governess, is convinced she is interacting with the supernatural, but no one is able to confirm this, indicating that the ghosts do not exist. As her hysteria grows, she sees more ghosts and the children’s behavior becomes stranger and more distanced. One can conclude from these aspects of the story that it is not the ghosts that are harming the children, but it is the governess in fits of madness. On the eve of her employment at Bly, the governess is unable to get a proper...
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...Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw addresses the destruction that result from the desires of the people in the government in the early 20th century who, because of their greed for more power created a corrupted and stained society. Their hunger for power and capital destroyed the balanced system of society leading to the hatred of the citizens towards the government officials. James’s imagery envelops the essence of the destruction which exists as the two apparitions, hinting at the destructions as a result of greed in the 19th century for dominance. Furthermore the narrator’s tone amplifies the dramaticness of the novella, which expresses the governess’s hysteric mind and desire to protect and shield Flora and Miles from the corruption of the ghosts that don’t exist. James employs multiple types of figurative languages throughout the whole novella, enhancing the suspense and ambiguity within the lines of the text. First the governess’s the solemn one who actually sees the ghosts, which contributes to the fact that the ghosts’ only exist in her imagination therefore classifying the narrator as unreliable. For example in chapter 20, when Mrs. Grose and the...
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...“The Turn of the Screw,” by Henry James is a novella that is open to countless of interpretations due to its ambiguity. There is contradiction after contradiction about whether the governess is sane enough to be able to see the ghosts of Ms. Jessel and Peter Quint. In fact, since the novella was published, many critics have argued that the projections of the ghosts are subjective to the governess’s imagination, while others argue the opposite. The story revolves around a young woman, who has recently finished her education. She accepts her first job: being the governess of little Flora and Miles. The two children are under the care of their uncle after the death of their parents. For this reason, the governess moves to the mansion in Bly, where...
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...“April Kudson!” shouted the police officer, loudly and carelessly ticking off the roll call. The sounds of juvenile prisoners screaming in anger, kicking on the concrete walls in frustration and the banging on the hard, cold metal bars started echoing in the gloomy hallways. April couldn’t catch her breath, “How could my life come to this? Seventeen years of trying to survive in misery and i ended up in this hell-hole.” Her head was spinning, blood rapidly rushing to her head all at once. She felt a firm hand wrapped around her neck tightly, “Getting released today, huh? Well here’s my present, happy birthday bitch!” screamed a girl, jealousy in her eyes and flared nostrils like a true savage. Five against one, bulky girls with tattoo sleeves all crowded April, pounded and kicked her until she was choking on her own blood, wounds gushed out pain, anger, humiliation. The police officers aggressively pried and tackled the girls off April. Sadly enough this was the least amount of torment she had felt in years. April was finally released that very same day, 18th of September. Stepping out into the sun, feeling the heat, sending a satisfying shiver down your spine, that should feel liberating but all she could feel was remorse and the scorching sun burning her skin. And there she was, the devil herself, Mrs. Hornburg, of all the people in West Virginia she had to be the head of Greenwood orphanage. She gave a coy smirk as she saw April coming down, her dark brown hair blowing in...
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...then you might have been watching me. I wonder now if you chose me for this reason. Those days, I had a smell so very few ever forgot although they never even really knew it. I would try and leave my scent wherever I went, my bakery-sweet sweat to linger in white cotton curtains that blew in gusts, or silk tablecloths spoiled with red wine, or sheets - dirty with sex juice. It was a scent that reminded people of the worst kind of girl, one who lies and cheats and has found the perfect rhythm and swing of her gait because she's figured out the power of her own hips. My scent would collect people like a flies to sticky paper. I would leave them in my wake. That is how it was with me, then. In time they would all get over it, like a death or a birth or all those things that happen in between, but every so often a gust of wind would pass, or a fork would drop to the floor, and it would somehow stir up a memory of me that they thought was settled. An atom of me, a fraction of a drop of my sweet sweat would soar in suddenly and cling to one hair right inside of their nose. And it would be enough to make them blow up, it would be enough to make them throw up, it would be enough to...
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...bottom of the box. She pulled it off: "Mr. Steward will call on you at 8:00P.M." Norma put the button unit beside her on the couch. She reread the typed note, smiling. A few moments later, she went back into the kitchen to make the salad. The doorbell rang at eight o'clock. ''I'll get it," Norma called from the kitchen. Arthur was in the living room, reading. There was a small man in the hallway. He removed his hat as Norma opened the door. "Mrs. Lewis?" he inquired politely. "Yes?" ''I'm Mr. Steward." "Oh, yes." Norma repressed a smile. She was sure now it was a sales pitch. 103 SHORT STORY DECISIONS DECISIONS "May I come in?" asked Mr. Steward. ''I'm rather busy," Norma said, ''I'll get you your whatchamacallit, though." She started to turn. "Don't you want to know what it is?" Norma turned back. Mr. Steward's tone had been offensive. "No, I don't think so," she replied. "It could prove very valuable," he told her. "Monetarily?" she challenged. Mr. Steward nodded. "Monetarily," he said. Norma frowned. She didn't like his attitude. "What are you trying to sell?" she asked. ''I'm not selling anything," he answered. Arthur came out of the living room. "Something wrong?" Mr. Steward introduced himself. "Oh, the-" Arthur...
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...box. She pulled it off: "Mr. Steward will call on you at 8:00P.M." Norma put the button unit beside her on the couch. She reread the typed note, smiling. A few moments later, she went back into the kitchen to make the salad. The doorbell rang at eight o'clock. ''I'll get it," Norma called from the kitchen. Arthur was in the living room, reading. There was a small man in the hallway. He removed his hat as Norma opened the door. "Mrs. Lewis?" he inquired politely. "Yes?" ''I'm Mr. Steward." "Oh, yes." Norma repressed a smile. She was sure now it was a sales pitch. 103 SHORT STORY DECISIONS DECISIONS "May I come in?" asked Mr. Steward. ''I'm rather busy," Norma said, ''I'll get you your whatchamacallit, though." She started to turn. "Don't you want to know what it is?" Norma turned back. Mr. Steward's tone had been offensive. "No, I don't think so," she replied. "It could prove very valuable," he told her. "Monetarily?" she challenged. Mr. Steward nodded. "Monetarily," he said. Norma frowned. She didn't like his attitude. "What are you trying to sell?" she asked. ''I'm not selling anything," he answered. Arthur came out of the living room. "Something wrong?" Mr. Steward introduced himself. "Oh,...
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...Susan Edson 1 THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Escrito por: Susan Edson Dirigido por: D. Juan Carlos Palmer Trabajo presentado para la obtención del Titulo Universitario Senior Universitat Jaume I Castellón, mayo 2005 2 Indice: I. General Concept………………………………..…… 4 1. First industrial revolution 2. Second industrial revolution 3. Modernization II. Europe……………………………………………….. 9 1. England 2. Scotland 3. Rest of Europe III. U.S.A………………………………………………... 17 1. The growth of U.S. industry. 2.Organization of industrial relations. 3.Agriculture. IV. Developments and innovations……………………… 24 1. Colonialism 2. Apprenticeship 3. Science and technology 4. Machine tools 5. Textiles 6. Steam engines 7. Locomotives and Steamboats 8. The Electric Telegraph 9. Architecture 10. Rubber 11. Lighting 12. Time V. Conclusions………………………………………... 42 VI. Bibliography………………………………………… 44 3 I. General Concept 1. The First Industrial Revolution Between 1760 and 1830 the Industrial Revolution was mainly confined to Britain. Being aware of its head start on other countries, Britain forbade the export of machinery, skilled workers and manufacturing techniques. This could not last, as many Britons saw profitable industrial opportunities abroad and continental European businessmen were keen to lure British know-how to their countries. Belgium became the first country in continental Europe to be transformed economically, having machine shops ...
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...[MUSIC PLAYING] Hi. I'm Topher Morrison. I'm a professional speaker and a best-selling author. And for the past 20 years, I've been paid to travel the world and speak to hundreds of thousands of people. Now I specialize in training and mentoring individuals who want to learn how to make a substantial level of income doing the exact same thing. Hi. I'm Dr. Sunny Karir. And I'm a body-language expert from Silver Lining Coaching. I've worked with some of the world's biggest organizations, including Microsoft, Amex, and JPMorgan. I work with their people and teach them fantastic body-language techniques to get the most out of every single speech. Hello. I'm Benjamin Ball of Benjamin Ball Associates. We specialize in helping leaders communicate more effectively. We do this for presentations, for speeches, and for investor communications, in particular. Hello. I'm Lynne Parker. And I'm a comedy producer. I set up my company, Funny Women, eight years ago to provide a platform for women in the comedy industry. Since then, I've worked with thousands of women to help them enhance their skills and to help them to perform better in public. My name's David Vaughan Thomas of Maynard Leigh Associates. And we train people in presentation skills. Over the years, we've trained many thousands, ranging from top actors, to CEOs, celebrities, movie stars, and people who just need to make a really, really powerful presentation. Hi. I'm Cindy Michelle Waterfield. I run the Speakers Company. And...
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