Examples Of Ambiguity In The Turn Of The Screw By Henry James

In the novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, the story revolves around the unchanging ambiguity that constantly questions the reader of the book, do the ghosts exist or is it just a figment of the governess’ imagination. Although obscure at first, to a certain audience, James is able to prove the existence of the occult by creating situations and actions that are considered absurd when questioned, so that the only possible reasoning has to be something impossible that in some way, shape, or form, the supernatural is involved. Throughout the course of the novella, many instances and scenes feature and focus on the presence of otherworldly specters. The governess within the story considers them ghosts, and they manifest themselves

One significant moment of such, is shown in this quote, “She’s not alone, and at such times she’s not a child; she’s an old, old woman” (77). This quote may seem like its being directed towards Flora and Flora only, but instead portrays a sense of ambiguity that suggests that Flora is working with an old woman, perhaps Miss Jessel, the currently departed former governess. However within the context of that quote, there seems not to be a logical explanation as to why Flora had suddenly decided to sail a boat across the river, it’s infallible, to the point where all reasonable explanations are replaced with theories that only the supernatural could have caused it. With the governess assuming that Flora is in league with the ghost of Miss Jessel, it causes the governess to assume that the ghost of Peter Quint is associated with Miles, as seen in her description of the scene, “Peter Quint had come into view like a sentinel before a prison” (97). In this scene James depicts Peter Quint as Miles’ over watch, which is contrary to what was said earlier about Peter Quint, saying that he [Peter Quint] did what he wanted with them all, that he had freedom, which now contrasts showing that he controls Miles’ life. This claim is only further supported when Peter Quint “leaves” Miles after he is