Death and Silence in "The Turn of the Screw"

Paper Summary:

The paper analyzes how the lack of sound in James' novel "The Turn of the Screw" represents the fear of death that accumulates in the ghostly images. The paper shows how these images represent the governess' struggle with silence and her inability to maintain control over the children and the household.

From the Paper:

"The theme of death in The Turn of the Screw arises through the construct of the silent interaction between the dead and the living. When the governess is placed in charge of Miles and Flora, there is markedly silent aspect of communication that arises during her care of the children. The first representation of silence arises when the governess sees Peter Quint's ghost. He is extremely pale and becomes the first major aspect of James' language that defines death as a threat to the governess's duty to protect the children from intruders."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bloom, Harold. Henry James' Daisy Miller, the Turn of the Screw, and Other Tales. New York: Chelsea House, 1988.
• Cornwell, Neil. The Turn of the Screw and What Maisie Knew: Henry James: Contemporary Critical Essays. New York: MacMillan, 1998.
• Gard, Richard. Henry James: The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge, 1987.
• James, Henry. The Turn of the Screw. New York: Dover, 1991.

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