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 …show more content…
She had also been told of Mrs. Jessel’s death before she had seen the ghosts, adding stress to her current situation. Under these circumstances, it would be reasonable to conclude that she is not in the best state of mind when she initially sees these ghosts. By the time she sees Mrs. Jessel across the lake, she becomes sure that the apparitions are attempting to hurt the children, causing her to become frantic. As illustrated on page 71, the governess admits to there being a possibility that had physically affected Flora when comforting her after the incident when she concludes “I must have gripped my little girl with a spasm that, wonderfully, she submitted to without a cry or a sign of fright”. Later, on page 122, Flora even admits to wishing to be away from the governess, saying how cruel she is. This comes unexpected to the governess, who is not fully aware of her abuse towards the children. Even so, she causes the death of Miles in one of her “interactions with a ghost”, concluding that it is not the apparitions that harm the children. Although unknowing of her actions, the governess is the true threat to her charges. Her hysterical nature is that which enables her to hallucinate, and in these bouts of fear, she causes harm to those she tries to protect. This reveals the honest horrors of the book, which is no longer a ghost story. But a psychological