Henry James’ popular novel The Turn of the Screw, which is a classic in the genre, is frequently re-examined due to its ambiguous writing. This prevents the readers from reaching a conclusion. This ghost story demonstrates both the faith and distrust in ghosts, who are attributed to the main events of the story. In England in the 1840s a young and inexperienced woman, Flora Miles becomes the governess at Bly, a country estate she calls. Readers are captivated by her description of events that take place in the house. A lonely woman, because of social hierarchy and her hauntings. She recruits the help of Mrs. Grose, a serious servant who took care of Flora and Mile’s grandmother before she passed away and has stayed with the family ever since collecting trust and secrets. Mrs. Grose – a downstairs maid who looked after Flora and Miles’ grandmother before her death and has stayed on with the family for years collecting secrets and trust – accepts the request without saying a word. It is believed that the stress and behavior of the governess are directly related to her supernatural encounters. However, it seems the natural world has taken a greater toll on the governess’ psyche. Mrs. Grose has a complex relationship with the governess, which is filled with passive plans. She gathers information, suggests ideas that the governess will become fixated on and executes sabotage.

In an important development in the story, Mrs. Grose continues to make the governess think that they’re friends so she can observe her and gather information which will be used to her detriment. Mrs. Grose is not eager to see the governess and so she often pretends that their encounters mean nothing unless the governoress acts strangely or says something alarming. By the governess agreeing to do a job which was often rejected, and her obsession with the uncle and his two nephews, Mrs. Grose assumes that she has a good sense of persuadability. In the same way as the reader, it seems that Mrs. Grose concludes the governess as someone who makes outrageous decisions based on little or no information. For example, she may agree to an improbable request to kiss by filling out Mrs. Grose’s sentence with strange words, such as: “Would yo mind, miss, I use the freedom-” Mrs. Grose is an obedient member of the hierarchy and believes that these actions are indicative of a governess who lacks experience and common sense. The governess has shown her to be a very easy person to work with, and Mrs. Grose believes this based on the information she receives. When Mrs. Grose has the chance, she will provide the missing information to the governess if she is confused. In a state of confusion, Mrs. Grose is able to provide the information that Mrs. Grose needs. After providing only a few details, Mrs. Grose can tell you what and who she was talking about. The governess was so consumed by her own fright that she failed to notice Mrs. Grose’s improvised explanation of Peter Quint. “Gaping, she gathered it together. “He didn’t wear his hat. He did, however, wear a waistcoat. Both were here, last year. (James 24). When asked by the governess about the death of Miss Jessel, Mrs. Grose doesn’t give any details. Instead she conveys her emotions. Mrs. Grose must be aware that the governess will fabricate a story to benefit Mrs. Grose. The governess’s instability and obsession with the stories increases as she ponders on these suggestions. The governess is seen to take Mrs. Grose’s ideas and extend them.

Mrs. Grose encourages Miss Jessel to develop strange behaviours that make her seem like a lunatic, not only to her children but also to her colleagues and boss. When Miss Jessel asks her for advice or support, Mrs. Grose is unable to respond. However, she allows and funds the conversation with her leading questions. As the governess’s expectations take over, she feels a desire to answer all of the questions. The governess feels anxious about the safety and well-being of her children. Mrs. Grose reinforces that concern and intensifies the governess’s fright. Mrs. Grose knows that the governess is desperate to succeed and she suggests the governoress contact the uncle to help the children. The governess becomes agitated when she realizes her impending failure. James 48). Feeling betrayed and hurt by her pride, she threatens to quit. This response assures Mrs. Grose of her success in threatening, and also that the full extent to which the governess’ reckless behaviour will be met. Grose can eliminate rational thought by encouraging the governess to think irrationally.

In order to obliterate her governess’s sanity, Mrs. Grose, who has been playing the role of a false companion, detaches from this role. After some discussion, Mrs. Grose decided to accompany the governess and retrieve Flora. However, once Flora was on the other side, Mrs. Grose ran to Flora, offering her support as well as an alternative for the governess. Flora is likely to have chosen Mrs. Grose as her side because she felt threatened by the governess. Mrs. Grose also presented herself as an alternative. The governess is thrown into a frenzy for several hours and her ego is destroyed. Mrs. Grose then takes on the role of caring for the children. Flora is ill and the governess blames herself for it, leaving her feeling guilty. Miles is left to deal with the governess’s instability after Mrs. Grose takes Flora to her uncle. The governess is left alone with no one to stop her from acting on her thoughts. As the governess observes, it appears that Mrs. Grose expected the governess would fail. As Mrs. Grose has no one to turn to when the governess is having an incident or seeing a ghost, she leaves her to confront and defeat herself.

The reason for Mrs. Grose’s actions is not clear, but she leads the governess towards losing her lucidity and reputation. Mrs. Grose’s mission was accomplished in a sly way. First she suggested and then encouraged feebleminded activities. After completing these tasks, Grose leaves her role as friend for the governess. Mrs. Grose’s motives are unclear but may be connected to the many guardians that have died over the years. Perhaps she is trying to gain independence to raise the children, or she might just want to attract her uncle to their house. Henry James’ beautifully crafted work makes it difficult to make a definitive conclusion. This is because the novel creates interesting illusions. Readers may be left wondering whether Bly’s terrors came from the governess’s ghosts or Mrs. Grose.

Works Cited

No changes are necessary.

James, Henry. The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a governess who is haunted by supernatural forces, as she looks after two children in an old country estate. Ed. Second Ed. by Deborah Esch, Jonathon Warren and Deborah Esch Second Edition. W.W. Norton published a book in 1999 in New York. Print.

Killoran, Helen. Modern Language Studies, 23.2 (1993), 13-24. Web.