ipl-logo

The Insanity In The Turn Of The Screw By Henry James

1063 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Governess in the turn of the screw

In Henry James’s novella, The Turn of the Screw, the governess’ sanity is commonly argued among the readers. Sanity is the “soundness and health of mind” while insanity is a “deranged state of mind usually occurring as a specific disorder” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). It is up to the audience to decide on whether the author intends for the governess to be sane or insane. Despite this controversy, the governess is insane throughout the whole story because she is a paranoid schizophrenic, possesses an obsessive personality, and is the only one who claims she sees the apparitions. The governess is clearly insane because her behavior shows the symptoms of someone who is a paranoid schizophrenic. A paranoid schizophrenic is one whose mind is not …show more content…

Despite this, the opposing side fails to realize that Flora wanted the governess to stop pestering her after their encounter by the lake. When she finds out that Flora is leaving Bly to live with her uncle, she tells Mrs. Grose, “What Flora wants, of course, is to get rid of me” (James 74). The governess’ words and actions eventually terrify Flora as a result of her insanity. It is certainly evident that the children are scared for her abnormal concern for them and want her out of the house. Others may also argue that the reason of Miles’ death was because he sees Peter Quint, but they do not understand that Miles dies because of how the governess handles him. When the governess attempts point out Peter Quint in the room, the author mentions how she “grasp[s]” him and “[holds]” him with passion (James 87). This may suggest that the governess is too rough when it comes to protecting Miles, and that she actually killed him. Her physical actions during this scene border violence - grasping and holding the boy and even shaking him. The governess is experiencing an emotional breakdown and holds Miles so tightly for so long that she suffocates him and kills him. Ultimately, the governess’ insanity drove Miles to his death at a young

Show More
Related
709 Words | 3 Pages

You may think Mr.Smith was most likely insane when he admitted to two police officers that he killed the Mr.Johnson, dismembered the corpse, and hid the body parts under the floorboards. Let's say you think someone is insane what do you think of when you think of insane. I’d believe you would think of someone who has huge mood swings, excessive worrying or anxiety, hallucinations or delusions, and inability to cope with daily problems and activities. You will most definitely see in my essay that Mr.smith was not insane but just a murderous sane man. First of all, Mr.smith was a very intelligent man and planned every single move and procedure of this murder precisely , which is the exact opposite of uncontrollable or impulsive behavior.

Read More
1960 Words | 8 Pages

Justice Tindall, whom was present at the M’Naughten trial when the insanity plea became a legal defense, breaks these rules into 3 statements. “Every person is presumed sane unless the contrary can be proven otherwise” (Allnut, et al. 293), which in this case it cannot. “A person suffering a ‘partial delusion’ should be dealt with as if the circumstances of the delusion was real” (Allnut, et al. 293). If Minnie was suffering from some sort of delusions, she would have used that as an excuse once Mr. Hale found her or would’ve had some crazy story on what happened. She got straight to the point.

Read More
1049 Words | 5 Pages

The governess’s sanity in Henry James’s Turn of the Screw is often disputed over in literature. Because the governess sees ghosts in the novel, she is often argued as insane. The definition of sanity proves otherwise, stating that it is the “state of being sound of mind or having appropriate judgment skills” (Psychology Dictionary). The governess is sane because she behaves rationally, protects the children above all costs, and is not the only character witnessing a supernatural presence.

Read More
755 Words | 4 Pages

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey, considers the qualities in which society determines sanity. The label of insanity is given when someone is different from the perceived norm. Conversely, a person is perceived as sane when their behavior is consistent with the beliefs of the majority. Although the characters of this novel are patients of a mental institution, they all show qualities of sanity. The book is narrated by Chief Brodmen, an observant chronic psychiatric patient, who many believe to be deaf and dumb.

Read More
1033 Words | 5 Pages

In the book “One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest” Ken Kesey shows that the “insanity” of the patients is really just normal insecurities and their label as insane by society is immoral. This appears in the book concerning Billy Bibbits problem with his mom, Harding's problems with his wife, and that the patients are in the ward

Read More
766 Words | 4 Pages

Thesis: Amongst the library of supernatural fiction and ghost stories written within the late 1800s, The Turn Of The Screw offers a direct commentary on the suppressed social fears of class change through the embodiment of ghosts. Introduction: Written in 1889, during the rise of supernatural psychical research and supernatural fiction, The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James tells the tale of a governess driven to insanity. The governess claims to have seen ghosts of the late governess, Miss Jessel, and the deceased valet, Peter Quint, on the grounds of castle Bly. The ghosts that she sees throughout the novella are not real and were created by the governess, due to the social pressures that she faced working at Bly. Her repressed desire to belong to a higher social class and her fears of trying to elevate her status were

Read More
565 Words | 3 Pages

In·sane /inˈsān/ (adjective) in a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction; seriously mentally ill. No one ever expects to go insane, no one knows when they are going insane, and in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe, the narrator doesn’t think he’s insane either. There is a debate on whether or not he is insane, but despite his opinion, and whoever else's, this narrator is insane, and this is proven by his lack of reason and his auditory hallucinations. Imagine killing a loved one because of a simple physical feature.

Read More
1165 Words | 5 Pages

In the book, The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James, the mental state of the main character, the governess is questionable and often argued by the audience. The governess reports several sighting of two ghosts, Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, however, the strange events degrade the credibility of the governess and readers must decide if they were real or fake. The governess is insane because she imagines the ghosts, displays excessive fear and anxiety and is extremely paranoid over the safety of her charges. All of this reasons are symptoms of insanity which lead us to logically believe she has a mental illness.

Read More
611 Words | 3 Pages

What exactly defines one as “insane” versus “sane”, and where is the boundary between the two? Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” explores exactly that: the short story initially seems to be a tale of a 19th century woman forced into the notorious rest cure popularized at the time by male doctors--however, as the plot progresses, it becomes a much deeper commentary not only on societal limitations imposed on women, but also on the blurred line separating sanity from insanity. Gilman explores the boundary between sanity and insanity with the usage of different literary elements; she expresses how the boundary is “paper-thin” through the usage of symbolism, shows the subtle conversion to insanity by utilizing a stream of consciousness

Read More
705 Words | 3 Pages

To be insane is to be irrational and disconnected from reality. In the novel, 1984, the modern view of being sane in Oceania's society is actually insane. The main character, Winston Smith, tackles a brainwashed society and a corrupt government who proclaims him as insane. Winston, however, is sane because he actually remembers the past, distinguishes the immorality of the Party and tries to ameliorate Oceania. Winston is of sound mind proven by his ability to remember the past, while the authoritarians of Oceania believe anything the Party tells them.

Read More
169 Words | 1 Pages

The protagonist from “The Turn of the Screw”, is perceived to be despearate as she tries to achieve her dream but her personal pride leads her to an unstable condition. The author depicts the Governess believing that to attain her goal of gaining attentionby her employer, she must be a hero. Therefore, she invents lies about seeing her predessors haunting her pupils. Nonetheless, the more times James makes the Governess mention the ghosts the more she believes they are real and they, “want to get them (the children)” (82). The Governess is blinded by making it appear she sees the ghosts that she looses herself in her own lies leading her to an unstable condition of not knowing what is real or not.

Read More
1250 Words | 5 Pages

Intro: “It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane” (PHILIP K. DICK, Valis). In present day America laws have been placed that prevent people who are “insane” to be guilty of the crimes they commit. In short, insanity is the state of being seriously mentally ill relating to madness. This is presented in the book Medea written by Euripides through her point of view. In Medea, a surge of insanity purges her after she is betrayed by her husband Jason causing many cruel and harsh actions to follow from her.

Read More
1021 Words | 5 Pages

In Henry James’s novella, The Turn of the Screw, the topics of sanity and insanity are commonly argued among the readers. Insanity is the state of madness or being irrational while sanity is reasonable behavior. It is up to the audience to decide on whether the author intended for the governess to be sane or insane. Despite this dissension, the governess is insane throughout the whole story because she possesses all the symptoms of a paranoid schizophrenic, has an obsessive personality, and is the only one who claims she sees the apparitions.

Read More
1042 Words | 5 Pages

Some say an insanity defense is a legal concept, not a clinical one. In some cases, the prosecution has had a hard time distinguishing between people pretending to be insane and the people who actually suffer from insanity. (Math, Kumar, and Moirangthem) Even though it is legal to be insane, do not take advantage of it and go do something you will regret later in life. There is a time and place and there is also a way to act in a public place.

Read More
1235 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes, he illustrates the journey of Alonso Quijano, a man who begins by reading books about knights and then decides to become one. Throughout the novel the reader realizes the insanity of Don Quixote through his actions, and situations he is involved in. Don Quixote begins in the village of La Mancha where he sets off to help the defenseless. Alonso Quijano 's reality is notably altered while he makes his transition from an average man to the insane Don Quixote, Man of La Mancha. Cervantes begins by introducing the main character Don Quixote, and describes his background including his family.

Read More

More about The Insanity In The Turn Of The Screw By Henry James

Related Topics

Open Document