The Turn of the Screw - Book Summary

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The Turn of the Screw is a horror novella written by Henry James in 1897. Originally published as a serialized novel, the story centers on a governess charged with the care of two children at a remote estate, which she comes to believe is haunted. Inspired by what James cited as “real-life” ghostly encounters, the novella’s subject matter encapsulates the widespread disillusionment with traditional religion at the turn of the twentieth century. While criticism on James’ story has often centered on the question of the governess’ sanity, modern critics suggest that the ambiguity surrounding the existence of the ghosts is a central feature of the work.

The story opens on Christmas Eve, with a group of friends telling ghost stories in an old house in 1890s England. An older man named Douglas announces that he will tell a true story, committed to paper by his younger sister’s late governess, with whom he was in love. Douglas sends for the governess’ manuscript, which he keeps in a locked drawer at his home in London. It arrives three days later, when Douglas finally begins his story.
The governess interviews for her first job as such with a gentlemen on London’s Harley Street. She is smitten with the man, who convinces her to accept a position as governess to his niece and nephew at their country house in Bly. The governess learns that the woman who previously held the position has died, and that there is only one condition to accepting the job: that she must not contact the gentleman, dealing with any problems that arise in Bly on her own.

Soon, the governess arrives at the house, where she meets the angelic eight year-old Flora, and the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose. Flora’s brother, ten year-old Miles, will return from school in a few days. The night before Miles’ arrival, the governess receives a letter from the headmaster notifying her of the boy’s expulsion from school. However, Mrs. Grose assures her that Miles is too good a boy to have acted out, and the governess agrees to meet the boy before drawing any conclusions.

Sure enough, the governess finds Miles to be just as sweet as his sister and dismisses her suspicions that Miles is concealing a terrible secret about his expulsion. For a time, the governess is happy, content with the children’s academic diligence. One evening, on a stroll about the grounds, she imagines the children’s uncle expressing his approval of her work. Suddenly, the governess sees a man in one of the house’s towers. At first, she thinks it is the children’s uncle but soon realizes it is a stranger.

Concerned by the sighting, the governess nevertheless supposes that it must have been a trespassing traveler. But when she notices the same man staring at her one night outside the dining room window, she runs out of the house to confront him and finds him gone. The governess describes the man to Mrs. Grose, who identifies him as Peter Quint, the uncle's former valet. Mrs. Grose reveals that Quint, now dead, spent a great deal of time with Miles and was “too free” with the boy.

On another occasion, the governess is sitting with Flora by a lake when she notices a woman across the water. Although Flora gives no indication that she sees the woman, the governess believes she is aware of her presence. Again, the governess tells Mrs. Grose, who is convinced that the woman was Miss Jessel, the children’s late governess. Mrs. Grose also reveals that Miss Jessel enjoyed an inappropriate relationship with Quint before leaving Bly.

Soon, the governess comes to believe that the children are communicating with the ghosts of Quint and Miss Jessel behind her back, and that Miles’ expulsion has to do with this. She decides to keep them in her sight at all times. But as time goes on, the governess is privy to increasingly disturbing encounters between the children and the ghosts. She theorizes that the ghosts seek to possess the children and lead them to their deaths but refuses Mrs. Grose’s suggestion that she contact their uncle.

While walking to church one Sunday, Miles threatens the governess, saying that he plans to inform his uncle that she is keeping him out of school. Upset, the governess flees the church, rushing back to the house, where she sits on the stairs, crying. To her horror, she realizes that she sits in the spot where she once saw Miss Jessel’s ghost weeping as well.
Distraught, the governess rushes to the schoolroom, where she sees Miss Jessel sitting at her own table, staring at her as though she is the intruder. Later, the governess tells Mrs. Grose of the encounter, in which Miss Jessel said she was suffering from the torments of hell and wanted Flora to suffer with her. Terrified, the governess finally decides to write to the children’s uncle.

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