There were many readings about The Turn of the Screw by Henry James ( 1843-1916 ) , and largely a batch of readers asked the celebrated inquiry whether the governess is stating the truth or non. There was besides some Freudian analysis of the novel that emerges from the covert issues that the governess seems to conceal in her unconsciousness. Finally, some of the readers like Young-Jong Yoo concluded that ambiguity itself is the topic of this novel ; that is, what is at interest in this novel is non to calculate out whether the storyteller is believable or non, but to acknowledge that the narrative is about ambiguity itself, for there are so many hints for conflicting theories.

It is true that most bookmans focused on the governess ‘s function as a believable storyteller, but non many articles are covering with the deduction in the narrative that Bly, the brilliant sign of the zodiac that the narrative takes topographic point, has a prison-like feature as a chief point. Interestingly, it seems that the governess, Miles and Flora are seeking to restrict each other with their ain scheme ; and the uncle of the kids seems to secretly govern all of personal businesss and the characters. In other words, this facet of Bly might be associated with prison, which imprisons the governess and the kids, and really is ruled over by the uncle. So, each chief character is working as imprisoner or captive at Bly, and this facet endows the quality of prison to Bly.

For illustration, looking at the character of the governess foremost, it is easy to happen that she tries to command the two kids by descrying and interrogating them. On the other manus, concentrating on the kids ‘s portion might convey a different point of position from the old one mentioned above. That is, even though the governess victimizes the kids by restricting them, in fact they non merely flight from the governess ‘s range of supervising, but besides deceive her and flim-flam her reversely in order to be freed from her. However, while the governess and the kids try to restrict each other in Bly, the uncle, although he is about unseeable in the narrative, seems to govern and direct the behaviour form of the characters by his high quality of gender function and societal position. That is, he is the swayer of the prison Bly who is oversing how the captives – the governess and the kids – are acting and how the matter is come oning. Therefore, it is possible to see that these characteristics are bespeaking that Bly is working as a prison.

Therefore, I would wish to analyse these features of captives and imprisoners that the four characters display in the narrative specifically. In add-on, I will discourse how these features contribute to the deduction that Bly is a prison.

a…? . The Features of the Main Characters Which Contribute to Bly ‘s Implication of Prison

The Feature of the Governess Which Contribute to Bly ‘s Implication of Prison

The Governess ‘s Background and Her Compulsion With Control

Truly, the governess in The Turn of the Screw has been viewed as a character who is highly obsessional about commanding other characters by some readers ; Klein even argues that “ her narrative so describes an escapade in dispossession, intending non merely the getting-rid of her ain shades but besides the riddance of all hindrances to a commanding consciousness ” ( 604 ) , go forthing herself entirely as a exclusive autocratic figure at Bly by coercing Mrs. Grose and Flora to take themselves and so driving Miles to decease. It might be excessively much, though, for some readers who support the governess, to state that she gets rid of the characters that interfere in her exercising of power on intent ; however, it is worthwhile indicating out that the character of the governess evidently can non be explained plenty without adverting her inclination of being obsessed with power. Readers might easy happen this point by detecting the words she uses both in her narrative and duologues. For illustration, she frequently uses genitive pronouns when she calls the kids, such as “ my male child ” or “ my pet ” and so on. She besides sometimes uses the words that imply use and control, for illustration when she says “ to watch, learn, ‘form ‘ small Flora would excessively obviously be doing of a happy and utile life ” ( 13 ) . Particularly, the word “ signifier ” seems to propose the possibility that the governess has compulsion to command the kids. So, it is of import to understand how this word picture of the governess is associated with the quality of lookout, and how this quality is connected with the image of prison that overlaps with Bly.

Before acquiring into the point straight, the readers might desire to cognize the background which might assist explicate the ground why the governess becomes so obsessional about commanding the whole house, every bit good as the kids. Scheiber trades with it sing the construct of “ anomy ” , which he explains with citing Christopher Herbert that it is “ a term, coined by the Gallic sociologist Emile Durkheim in the early 1890 ‘s, denoting a status of “ morbid freedom ” in which the human personality, afflicted by the decomposition of societal and cultural norms, battles mightily to retain its bearings and its unity ” ( 140 ) . He argues that it is of import to observe that the governess is instead immature and inexperienced ; reading the prologue closely, it is easy found that she is excessively immature -only 20 old ages old- and less experient to take charge of two kids. Although it is obvious, harmonizing to Scheiber, that her makings “ would barely tag her as one of the best people he could happen to look after [ the kids ] ” , the gentleman uncle “ [ endows ] her with “ supreme authorization ” over the full family ” without any permission to advocate or reach him with issues about the kids ( 142 ) . Scheiber views this as her sudden grant of boundless autonomy and authorization, saying that “ she is therefore endowed with a latitude of action and authorization but is denied both big advocate, or clear guidelines for dispatching her duties ” ( 143 ) . Sing that the governess had a “ stifled life ” with her rigorous curate male parent before, it seems that this boundless autonomy and authorization are excessively much for her, go forthing her at a loss, which is the quality related to “ anomie ” . Therefore, Scheiber points out that “ the conspicuous deficiency of such bounds is the existent “ trap ” that confronts the governess at Bly ” ( 145 ) .

So, this sense of “ anomie ” phenomenon is of import to understand the governess ‘s compulsion with authorization. Since she is given the illimitable latitude of power which she had ne’er tasted before, she does non cognize how to cover with this huge autonomy without any advocate or advice. In other words, she is in danger of neglecting to command this sense of autonomy, neglecting to cognize when to utilize it and when to keep it.

James besides seems to demo this issue when the readers consider the terminal of chapter one, which foreshadows the governess ‘s being a lookout of the house, if non a dictator. At the terminal of chapter one, she describes the house as a “ large ugly antique but convenient house, aˆ¦ in which I had the illusion of our being about every bit lost as a smattering of riders in a great drifting ship ” , and her feeling to be “ queerly at the helm ” of it ( James 15 ) . Scheiber, who relates this line to the construct of “ anomy ” , explained it as “ the governess ‘s coincident excitement and anxiousness at her newfound status ” which is defined as her “ authorization ” that “ joins a sudden, unwonted freedom with an indeterminate object – the really matrix of aˆ¦ infiniteness ” ( 143 ) . Furthermore, this line implies that she feels a unusual sense of duty which seems to be based on “ her newfound status ” which is explained by Scheiber ( 145 ) . This is similar to that of a captain of an endangered ship, although she simply and purportedly arrived at the house merely a twosome of yearss ago. That is, her unconscious desire for being a “ captain ” who holds the helm of the ship might be exposed inadvertently. Therefore, it is possible to construe this line as an exhibition of her innate unconscious desire of commanding and managing all of personal businesss of Bly, which is feigned as a sense of duty. Furthermore, she embellishes her genitive inclination with “ gallantry ” , the purpose of protecting the kids from outward danger and evil. Particularly, she states that she was a “ screen ” to “ stand before [ Peter Quint and Miss Jessel ] ” ( James 41 ) . However, when readers consider the vague significance of the word “ screen ” , some readers might detect that the word “ screen ” can besides be interpreted as centrifuge, which can be seen as a spliting wall between the interior of Bly and the universe exterior. In other words, the governess really screens the universe outside so that the kids would be isolated inside the house without any societal contact, and kept being possessed by her.

The Governess ‘s Role as an Imprisoner of the Children

In add-on, the governess plays a function of spectator, maintaining her oculus on the kids so that they can non travel or act freely. Her passion for commanding and possessing them is confessed by the governess herself, who asks “ why did they ne’er resent my grim, my ageless society? ” ( James 78 ) ; she states here that she ne’er left the kids entirely, and the apparent intent is to maintain the kids safe from the shades. However, what she is making to the kids seems to be the same map with that of a lookout, which prevents the kids from traveling to other topographic points or from talking freely whatever they want. The most conspicuous portion, nevertheless, is that the governess besides shows the lookout ‘s quality by invariably glancing and descrying the kids ‘s behaviour and behaviors twenty-four hours and dark, which means the kids are deprived of their private clip and infinite. That is, by maintaining oculus on the kids and non being separated from them a 2nd, she smothers them till the terminal. This quality leads Miles even to plead ( or endanger ) her to allow him entirely, because she overly and compulsively occupy his religious district by the name of Jesus. Nevertheless, in malice of his pleading, she “ drop [ s ] on [ her ] articulatio genuss beside the bed and prehend [ s ] one more the opportunity of possessing him ” , and so she shouts that she wants to “ salvage ” him ( James 91 ) . In other words, the governess one time more clutters him literally and figuratively by keeping him close and obliging him to squeal what she wants to listen.

Another scene that reveals this quality is where the governess has an question with Miles at the terminal of the narrative. Her attitude when she asks inquiries to Miles bit by bit changes into a harsh and intimidating one, and this contradicts her old confession that she is deceasing to assist Miles. It instead seems similar to that of justice who is dying for carping about a junior-grade discourtesy committed by an guiltless male child. The portion where she asks herself, “ it was for the instant confounding and bottomless, for if he were guiltless what so on Earth was I? ” ( James 123 ) , seems best exposes her now amalgamate individuality as an lookout or inquisitor at Bly.

Particularly, a hypothesis that the governess is identified with the shades besides supports the point that the governess is working as a lookout at Bly. Many readers already pointed out that the governess is similar to the shades in some manner – particularly Peter Quint. The portion where the governess meets Peter Quint for the 2nd clip in the classroom absolutely describes this designation. Yoo besides points out that the governess ‘s behaviour of traveling out and looking indoors through the window merely as Five did seems to scare Mrs. Grose every bit much as the shade does ( 116 ) . It is hard to understand her vague ground why she stands on Quint ‘s place, which is that “ it was confusedly present to me that I ought to put myself where he had stood. I did so ; ” ( James 31 ) . It instead seems that James put an deduction that the governess and Quint are on close analogue. This is besides shown in Miss Jessel ‘s instance ; the scene where the governess meets Miss Jessel in the classroom when she comes in to pack her materials in order to acquire out of Bly. The governess provinces here that “ she had looked at me long plenty to look to state that her right to sit at my tabular array was every bit good as mine to sit at hers ” ( James 84 ) . Actually, the scene that Miss Jessel sits down at the governess ‘s table seems to connote that her image is overlapping with the storyteller ‘s. Her unusual indignation about this, as if Miss Jessel took her place and authorization, might bespeak this sense. Rowe besides explains this scene that “ the governess dramatizes these ghostly trials as if to give them organic structure, to reify them ” , and “ her repeat ” , for illustration “ peering through the window where Quint had appeared, sitting at her ain tabular array where Miss Jessel had appeared to be composing ” , represents her competitory battle to replace her ain organic structure for their apparitional presences ” ( 140 ) . In other words, the governess supports demoing her battle to “ replace ” herself for the shades, and this might be interpreted as an designation of herself with the shades.

To be more specific, it is of import to concentrate on what the shades really do in understanding this analogue between them and the governess. As Klein suggests, the shades are instead deadening and useless ; they are merely standing and watching or seeking the kids, making nil injury straight to them. In peculiar, Peter Quint normally appears outside and tickers inside looking for Miles. In other words, the shades are working as spectators instead than evil liquors that try to harm people. Therefore, sing that the governess is identified with the shade, it is really interesting to see that the two, the governess and the shade, are playing the same function – the lookouts. That is, the designation of the governess with the shade renders the guess that the governess is executing the lookout ‘s function at Bly more plausible. In fact, the shades imply many other significances sing to the governess including Freudian analysis, but it is of import to detect that the governess ‘s behaviour is basically similar to that of the shade even though she antagonizes the shade as immorality which might take ownership of kids ; or, possibly, she is viing with the shades on possessing or taking control of the kids. In any instance, their intent and behavioural form are really similar to each other ‘s ; they are in fact prosecuting the same end. Sing this, it is non unusual that she defines the shades as immorality, because she might hold a sense of competition against them.

The Governess ‘s Role as an Interrogator of Mrs. Grose

In the instance of Mrs. Grose, the governess besides shows so called control-obsession. She, to be specific, forces to Mrs. Grose her sentiment about the shades, even though her guesss are unlogical and absurd. One of the best illustrations might be the scene where she with Mrs. Grose guesses the ground why Peter Quint has appeared:

‘He was looking for some one else, you say – some one who was non you? ‘

‘He was looking for small Miles. ‘ A prodigious clarity now possessed me. ‘That ‘s whom he was looking for. ‘

‘But how do you cognize? ‘

‘I know, I know, I know! ‘ My ecstasy grew ( 38 ) .

Clearly, the governess does nil than enforcing her position on Mrs. Grose, when she was challenged by Mrs. Grose with a simple inquiry, “ But how do you cognize? ” It is interesting to detect that the governess supports take a firm standing on her guess whenever she is asked about the shades, like the scene where she discusses the ground why Miss Jessel appears in forepart of Vegetations:

Mrs. Grose, at this, fixed her eyes a minute on the land ; so at last raising them, ‘Tell me how you know, ‘ she said

‘Then you admit it ‘s what she was? ‘ I cried.

‘Tell me how you know, ‘ my friend merely repeated.

‘Know? By seeing her! By the manner she looked. ‘ ( 46 )

These scenes, in this sense, seem to exemplify good of her compelling quality. Interestingly, the readers might believe that Mrs. Grose ‘s inquiries are more logical and reasonable than the governess ‘s averment, particularly on seeing the chapter 15 which has no existent description or narrative that Miss Jessel spoke. Although the governess is the lone individual who speaks when she and Miss Jessel confronts with each other, she lies to Mrs. Grose that Miss Jessel told her “ that she suffers the torture ” and that “ she wants Vegetations ” ( James 86 ) .

The governess non merely forces her guess to Mrs. Grose but besides threatens and intimidates her to acquire information or makes personal businesss to be directed in a manner she wants. This is really similar to the quality of an inquisitor which she shows when she is with Miles. It is good described in the scenes where she has conversation with Mrs. Grose, particularly when she wants to cognize more about the relationship of Peter Quint, Miss Jessel and the kids. Some readers might explicate this scene that the governess shows her unconscious sexual desire which is based on Freudian depth psychology. Of class this might be a superb account for it, but the scene besides reveals her aggression prosecuting the highest place of the hierarchy of power in the house. It is genuinely awful to read the line where she says, “ I shall acquire it out of you yet! ” ( 52 ) when Mrs. Grose denies of stating specifically about the equivocal relationship of theirs ; it even reminds readers of the attitude of a Gestapo.

In add-on, there is another scene that is on the same context with this point, where the governess subtly manipulates Mrs. Grose to give her the undertaking of composing the missive. The governess ‘s bullying, “ should you wish him to compose our narrative? ” ( 87 ) , which has a great impact on Mrs. Grose to give up her program instantly, “ produces a series of defensive gestures that consequence a motion from Mrs. Grose to the bailiff back to the Governess: “ Ah Miss, you write. ” Mrs. Grose ‘s sentence is itself ambivalent, proposing the imperative temper ( and therefore Mrs. Grose ‘s subtler authorization ) every bit good as a mere averment, “ you are capable of authorship, ” that would tag Mrs. Grose ‘s resignation of authorization and confession of subservience to the Governess ” ( Rowe 142 ) . It besides seems possible to be interpreted as the governess ‘s purpose to divide the matter from public and maintain it in her charge. To exemplify, the bailiff, who is mentioned above as “ him ” , seems to stand for the universe outside, really public in contrast to the interior of Bly. It besides symbolizes the intervention from outside with the matter in the family. Rowe seems to hold with this point, saying that “ whether this bailiff is the administrative functionary of the territory in which the estate of Bly is located or, more likely, overseer or steward of the estate itself, aˆ¦ he represents a legal mediation between public and private, societal and household jurisprudence ” , which means, the bailiff maps as a go-between who intervenes in the matter ; and this is perfectly non permitted by the governess. Therefore, by barricading possible aid from outside, or “ invasion ” if you may, the governess perfectly isolates the matter from the universe, demoing her aspiration of directing the matter by herself.

With these groundss, to sum up, it is clear to reason that the governess evidently is playing a function of a lookout, an inquisitor, and a operator at Bly whether she is witting of it or non. As ascertained above, she seems to seek to accomplish the highest position in a little society in Bly, and regulation over the kids and Mrs. Grose ; and her usage of words and attitude toward the people in the narrative support this point. In other words, the governess seems to seek to pin down the people within Bly and watch them with this obsessional sense of genitive inclination, which can be explained by “ anomy ” based on her life background, as Scheiber suggests. As if Bly was a prison and the people were her captive, she continuously tries to command the whole family but to neglect with decease of Miles.

The Feature of the Children Which Contribute to Bly ‘s Implication of Prison

The Children ‘s Role as Prisoners of Bly

Under the governess ‘s bossy control, the kids seem to execute as compliant captives. The point of the kids as captives and Bly as a prison is illustrated in the governess ‘s narrative in chapter 23 specifically ; she sees Miles in forepart of a window, and she describes that “ the frames and squares of the great window were a sort of image, for him, of a sort of failure. I felt that I saw him, in any instance, shut in or close out ” ( 116 ) . Through this line, James implies that Miles is like a captive standing in forepart of a fretted window of a prison. Furthermore, the minute Peter Quint ‘s shade appears for the last clip outside of the window is described that “ Peter Quint had come into a position like a lookout before a prison ” ( 120 ) . James straight mentions the word “ lookout ” here, which implies the significance that Bly has a prison-like feature. Imagining so, that Miles is standing in forepart of the prison-like window, out of which the shade is watching him, suggests the thought that the kids are imprisoned in Bly.

The Children ‘s Role of Restricting the Governess

Interestingly, although the governess tries to command and govern over the kids and they seem to be obedient to her, they truly are non ; in fact, non merely they escape from her supervising, but besides trap her in their secret plan in order non to be imprisoned. Despite obscureness of the intent whether to take back the power or merely to acquire freed from the governess, it is clear that the governess gets in problem because of the traps the kids devised.

In this instance, sing the kids ‘s life background is every bit much of import as covering with the governess ‘s. To exemplify, the kids have no parental figure to keep them, and the uncle, who is the lone individual can take the parents ‘ function, negates of familial duty and attenuates household bonds ( Scheiber 146 ) . As a consequence, the kids are besides in the similar status with the governess, which is defined as boundless autonomy and freedom. They therefore have no chance to be educated like other kids who have parental figures, so they are sing anomy every bit good as the governess is sing it. However, the governess now appears, and attempts to be a parental figure for them ; but she is excessively inexperient to be a guardian, so she confines them alternatively of protecting them. Deprived of freedom which they used to bask before, the kids are now seeking to acquire it back by reversely incarcerating her. To sum up, this feature of the kids ‘s background greatly act upon their parturiency of the governess.

The first thought to observe about the kids ‘s portion is that the kids smartly escape from the governess ‘s spying. Even the governess confesses that “ sometimes possibly so ( when I dropped into saltiness ) I came across hints of small apprehensions between them by which one of them should maintain me occupied while the other slipped off ” ( 57 ) . This is supported by a twosome of instances presented in the governess ‘s narrative ; the first instance is that Miles contacts with Peter Quint ‘s shade by deflecting the governess by doing Flora ticker outside the window. After being caught by her and by stating the governess that he arranged it with Flora, the governess ‘s “ funny bang of victory ” which she gained with “ a crisp trap ” she thought “ for any game hitherto successful ” alterations into a feeling of falling into their trap ( 67 ) .

The 2nd instance occurs after the wrangle Miles and the governess has on Miles ‘s bed about allowing him entirely, Miles ‘s address following forenoon to the governess is so precocious, and instead flattering: “ The true knights we love to read about ne’er force an advantage excessively far. I know what you mean now: you mean that – to be allow alone yourself and non followed up – you ‘ll discontinue to worry and descry upon me, wo n’t maintain me so near to you, will allow me travel and come. Well, I “ come ” , you see – but I do n’t travel! There ‘ll be enough of clip for that. I do truly please in your society and I merely want to demo you that I contended for a rule ” ( 94 ) . However, guaranting the governess with this fast one, he plays the piano to deflect the governess in order to allow Flora “ travel ” far off alternatively of him, to run into Miss Jessel. In this sense, the kids conspire with each other to acquire off from the governess ‘s parturiency.

Actually, the governess seems to be cognizant of this fact, and she gives several intimations about it. Even before she conjectures that the kids know about the shades, she already admits that she “ walked in a universe of their innovation ” ( James 42 ) . The kids in fact does non necessitate much attention from the governess, but merely allow her see them play themselves, or take portion in their drama as a “ singular individual or thing that the game of the minute required ” ( 42 ) . After all, she foreshadows that she but dances to the music of the kids. Furthermore, she recognizes that the kids are more than a lucifer of her, stating that “ what it was least possible to acquire rid of was the barbarous thought that, whatever I had seen, Miles and Flora saw more – things awful and unguessable and that sprang from awful transitions of intercourse in the yesteryear ” ( 76 ) . Therefore, the kids seem to successfully pull strings state of affairss by seeing and cognizing more than she does and utilizing this point as their advantage, every bit good every bit working as captives at the same clip.

The Children ‘s Threatens Toward the Governess

In add-on, it is interesting to concentrate on the parts that the kids threaten the governess ; merely as the governess tries to restrain the two kids by interrogating and descrying, the kids intimidate the governess with her weakest point – the contract with their uncle. To be specific, it is easy to happen that the governess is proud of detecting the contract: for illustration, when Mrs. Grose proposes her to interrupt the regulation and inquire aid to the uncle, the governess is earnestly disturbed by her suggestion and even declares that she will abandon her alleged career of salvaging the kids. She frightens Mrs. Grose with this threaten, believing that Mrs. Grose “ did n’t cognize – no one knew – how proud I had been to function him and to lodge to our footings ” ( 72 ) . So it is possible to see that the governess thinks maintaining the regulation is one of the most of import responsibilities of hers, and apprehensions of interrupting it. And Miles is utilizing this point precisely in order to be free from her.

Actually, the scene that portraits the first flight of Miles at midnight implies a weak threaten. When he gets caught by her, who feels “ a funny bang of victory ” thought that her “ crisp trap ” was successful, he explains the ground he went outside that “ believe me – for a alteration – bad! ” ( 68 ) . He camouflages this threaten under “ sugariness and merriment with which he brought out the word ” , although his word clearly indicates that he can “ turn bad ” if he wants, no affair how the governess confines him and undercover agents on him. In other words, he seems to endanger the governess non to keep him and his sister. To sum up, Miles is declaring that non merely the privacy but besides deceit can they make to the governess, connoting that she is non a successful spectator of them.

Miles ‘s 2nd threatening occurs when they are on the manner to church. It seems that, although Miles once more reminds her of the dark he went “ bad ” and attempts to cover with the job straight, the governess does non easy give him an reply that he will go forth shortly for school. This leads Miles to endanger her mildly but strongly, that he will allow his uncle cognize his state of affairs and allow him come down, cognizing precisely that the governess ‘s weakest point is the contract with the uncle which is about non upseting him with any enquiry or inquiring for advocate. At last, when he has a conversation with her at his bedside, he one time more threatens her to allow him entirely, demoing his despairing desire to be free from the governess. He besides argues that the governess has to “ state him ” to settle the things about traveling back to school. This truly intimidates the governess plenty, because he means that she should interrupt the contract which she is really proud of lodging to.

It is non so different when the readers consider Flora ‘s instance, particularly when they read the scene where Flora eventually is asked about Miss Jessel by the governess ; the point to concentrate on is that her reply retorted to the governess ‘s bold inquiry. She in fact accuses the governess as a barbarous adult female, endangering her place at Bly. Flora ‘s pleading to take her off from “ her ” , might be viewed as an prayer for get awaying from the governess ; Goddard, though he argues that the governess ‘s point of position is an absolute hallucination, admits that Flora must hold been “ excessively closely watched and confined by her governess ” , so that she “ seizes an chance for freedom that presents itself and wanders off for half an hr in the evidences of the estate where she lives ” ( 77 ) ; even though some readers might non hold with the point that the governess ‘s narrative is based on her hallucination, they might nod at the point that “ a small miss seizes an chance for freedom ” from the ageless smothering society of the governess. To sum up, whether the reading is right or non, it is obvious that Flora ‘s sudden accusal makes the governess ‘s place unstable.

Therefore, it is possible to see that the kids are besides look intoing the governess ‘s purpose and barricading her in their ain child-like manner. Although the governess occupies higher place in age and possibly in intelligence, the kids efficaciously evades her program by counterstriking with their ain secret plan. So, Bly is instead like a immense prison full of legion psychological games and traps ; to descry or to be spied, to look into or to be checked is the job of these games, and interestingly, the kids seem to make good, or better than the governess in this game, although Miles dies in the terminal of the narrative. To sum up, the kids, who can be viewed as captives in this prison, besides reversely restrict the governess by flim-flaming and endangering her, in order to acquire out of this prison and be freed.

The Feature of the Uncle Which Contribute to Bly ‘s Implication of Prison

The Uncle ‘s Role as an Invisible Ruler of Bly

The feature of a prison that Bly has, which is established by the governess and the two kids, is reinforced by the figure of the kids ‘s uncle, the maestro of Bly. At first, nevertheless, he seems to be a secondary character because he really does non look straight in the narrative, so some readers easy disregard his influence on other characters. Rowe besides agrees with this point and states that “ although his money, his belongings, and place would look to entitle him to a certain command in this civilization, the Uncle ‘s refusal to presume any direct duty for the attention and instruction of his younger brother ‘s kids makes it easy for critics to trivialise his power as that of some dues absconditus who leaves the field to the Governess ” ( 128 ) . However, the uncle seems to be in the highest position and have most powerful authorization, even though he is really unseeable in the governess ‘s narrative. He besides uses these advantages to be an absolute maestro and a swayer of Bly. To be specific, even though he is unseeable, he influences greatly the whole matter as if he is ubiquitous in Bly. This aspect endows him a characteristic of a maestro and an unseeable swayer of the prison Bly.

Some readers have already noticed the power of the uncle ; Scheiber states that “ this unhinging of the uncle ‘s authorization affects the governess and Miles every bit, aˆ¦ each is a topic of the uncle ‘s absent authorization – the governess by virtuousness of her gender and her position as an employee, and Miles by virtuousness of his age and topographic point in the household line of descent ” ( 149 ) . Indeed, the uncle has a higher societal position than any other character ; and that is why the chief characters sometimes rely on his possible power derived from his position in order to obtain what they want, or apprehension of losing his assurance by interrupting his regulation.

Similarly, Rowe besides explains the uncle ‘s unseeable power that he “ confirms all the more his secret power – itself a power of secretiveness and censoring – over the histrions at Bly and their audience ” by “ virtuousness of his irresponsibleness ” ( 128 ) . To understand “ virtuousness of his irresponsibleness ” , the readers should see the character of the uncle. Although there are descriptions that merely over-praise the uncle, in fact he is non that applaudable adult male. For case, if we closely detect his unusual contract with the governess, it is obvious that the uncle does non desire to take charge of the kids except for supplying fiscal assistance. Although he has much authorization to take duty of the things related to the kids such as Miles ‘s ejection from his old school, he merely demands that the governess, non him, should set about all of personal businesss of the kids ; and he does non even accept any audience about them. This is genuinely irresponsible feature he shows as lone uncle and a defender of the two kids. However, interestingly, this “ virtuousness of his irresponsibleness ” seems to pull strings and command the chief characters ‘ behaviour. To be specific, the chief characters, particularly the governess, look into their behaviour if they are go againsting the uncle ‘s regulation or non. This is besides indirectly related to the tragic terminal of the narrative, because if they had been bold plenty to interrupt the contract and state him to settle the matter, the narrative sould have been ended in a different manner. In other words, the uncle ‘s irresponsible characteristic censors the chief characters ‘ behaviour form, and finally drives the narrative into the tragic terminal. Rowe besides adds that “ his power in the subsequent narration is about entirely a map of his tabu against communicating from the Governess ” ( 128 ) ; That is, the tabu that the governess must non reach the uncle foremost with the kids ‘s issues perfectly restrains the governess ‘s possible scope of behaviour by exercising great power on the characters ‘ psychological procedure.

Rowe besides quotes Felman and explains that the uncle is metaphorized as that which remains “ indecipherable ” . In other words, being unseeable in the narrative and declining to pass on, “ he becomes the figure of what can non be read, in such a mode that every image of command in the balance of the narrative is simply a simulacrum or fetish stand foring him ” ( Rowe 139 ) ; and he gives an illustration of the scene where “ Flora fits a mast into a plaything boat ” , citing Felman once more that “ phonic and sexual associations between “ mast ” and “ maestro ” : While the governess therefore believes herself to be in a place of bid and command, her appreciation of the ship ‘s helm ( or of the small maestro ‘ or of the prison guard she tightens ) is in world the appreciation but of a fetish, but of a simulacrum of a signified, like the simulacrum of the mast in Flora ‘s plaything boat, erected merely as a filler, as a makeshift, designed to make full a hole, to shut a spread ” ( 140 ) . So it is possible to state that the uncle might be omnipresent in the house and in the narrative, altering his presence into a symbolic object. Therefore, “ scoring the governess by forbiding her any farther intercourse with him, delegating her responsibility as “ supreme authorization, ” pass oning with her lone by agencies of unread letters, the Uncle preserves his self-contradictory individuality: aˆ¦ the power of powerlessness, the presence of absence ” ( Rowe 140 ) .

The Uncle ‘s Manipulation of the Main Characters ‘ Behavior Patterns

This dry individuality which the uncle has is so powerful that it becomes great influence that drives the matter to tragic decision of the narrative. In peculiar, his influence for the governess is tremendous. Many readers interpret this influence in Freudian theory, that the sexual attraction and seduction of the uncle awakened the pent-up desire of the governess, so she is ruled by the contract the uncle imperatively sets up. Some readers like Vaid position this trueness that governess shows to the uncle that “ but for her infatuation, the immature and inexperient governess would non hold accepted the occupation with its dour conditions ; nor would she hold clung so resolutely to their observation ” ( Vaid 98 ) . Actually, whenever the others advise her to reach him and make something, the readers might happen easy that she is highly disturbed by it: sometimes she threatens to go forth Bly ; the other times she gets nervous and starts to falsify the world that whoever references of the uncle is traveling to acquire her into problem. Scheiber exactly points out this in the scene that Miles tells her that he would inquire his uncle to come down. He explains that “ the governess fears this menace for her ain grounds ; but from Miles ‘ point of view it simply implies the Restoration of a “ normal ” life ” but “ the governess herself misunderstands this, believing that Miles ‘ purpose is “ to do usage of my fright to derive, for his ain intent, more freedom ” ” ( Scheiber 144 ) . Her fright here really implies that she is afraid of what the uncle might believe of her if she breaks the contract, demoing how great the uncle ‘s influence is.

Not merely the governess recognizes the unseeable power of the uncle, but besides the kids acknowledge its possible influence and usage it. As mentioned above, Miles uses the point that the governess frights of breading the contract with his uncle and threatens her that he will do him come down if she does non allow him travel back to school. This evidently indicates that Miles is good cognizant of his uncle ‘s high quality in the family. Therefore, it is possible to see that although the uncle is non present in the house, his power, which is more powerful than any other characters in the narrative, is still influential to all of others. In other words, it seems that James indicates the uncle is demoing his possible power with his societal and familial high quality ; and this power in secret affects the whole family and drives the chief characters ‘ motivations and behaviours. It besides is necessary to see that the uncle ‘s absent presence seems to be almighty within the house – although he is non paying any attending to the matter, the governess feels ill at easiness as if he was watching her. Therefore, the uncle might be viewed as a concealed maestro of a prison Bly, and an unseeable swayer who watches how the personal businesss in the family advancement.

a…? . Redefining the Meaning of Bly and Its Consequence on The Turn of the Screw

Therefore, the factors of each character which contribute to the deduction that Bly might be a prison have been suggested so far. First, the governess shows her function as a lookout of Miles, Flora and Mrs. Grose through her obsessional inclination of commanding other characters ; she performs a lookout ‘s function which is seeking to command the two kids and limit their freedom, with an alibi that the shades would harm them. Her harsh and dogmatic attitude toward other characters supports this thought. Second, although the kids seem to map as captives of the governess, they besides thwart the governess ‘s effort to restrict them. That is, the kids are besides restricting the governess as she attempts to make to them. The concluding point is that the existent adult male of power turns out to be the kids ‘s uncle whose high quality potentially governs and direct other chief characters ‘ behaviour form in the narrative. To be specific, even though he does non look in the narrative straight, his unseeable power perfectly influences and regulations the whole family with the unusual and irresponsible contract ; and he functions as a secret maestro of the prison. So it is possible to state that these forms of observation and being watched signifier a sort of systematic order in the relationships of the chief characters – the relationship between the governess and the kids, and the relationship between the people in Bly and the uncle. So Bly might be compared to a great prison which has a possible swayer outside and captives indoors.

In add-on, it is human existences who are “ turning the prison guard ” , non the supernatural existences. That is, the of import topic of the narrative is non the paranormality, but human existences ‘ psychological procedure and behaviour. To be specific, the psychological games which are played by those captives, non the shades themselves, are more of suspense and the chief portion to pay attending to. This is non the war between the governess and the shades, goodness and immorality ; instead, it is the war between the human existences – the governess and the kids – confined in a great prison which the uncle in secret and invisibly manoeuvres the full war at the underside of the matter. This means that The Turn of the Screw trades with humanity instead than shades, although it is categorized as one of shade novels. In other words, although The Turn of the Screw is different from other novels because of utilizing supernatural incident as a stuff for the narrative, it surveies the issue of human head and relationships ; and ease pathological or utmost thrusts and desires hidden in human head to be exposed on surface like any other novels of psychological pragmatism James normally writes In decision, it contains superb techniques that efficaciously shows human head which is really complex to depict, and reveals James ‘s first-class penetration to psychological procedure which the chief characters expose or help exposing of others within the prison which is devised intentionally by him.