The Impetus of Horror: The Turn of the Screw

What is the impetus of the horror that takes place within The Turn of the Screw? Who or what is haunted?

These are the two prominent questions that arise throughout Henry James' The Turn of the Screw. Though the idea of who or what is haunted can easily be debated, there is one answer that encompasses many aspects of the question. I have come to the conclusion that the hysterics within Henry James' The Turn of the Screw occur on account of the haunted nature of Bly.

Bly personifies a haunted estate as it provokes the fear and ghostly visions of its inhabitants.  The idea of a large mansion separated from society is synonymous in my mind with tumult and horror. Thinking about being in a large dark estate that is isolated from society makes me cringe. I have become easily afraid on account of the haunted nature of houses that I have been in. It is quite easy to mistake the creak of a door or the whistling of the wind for a spirit or ghost. The imagination can play tricks on one's mind. Both fear and hysteria are emotions that may truly disconnect one from reality. When others add to the fear and hysteria the frights may only become worse.

 The story begins as the employer hastily sends the governess off to Essex to an abode that appears to be isolated from society. There is a sense of a ghostly aura that permeates the air of Bly right from the start as the "spirits" entice the inhabitants.  The consistent ambiguity present throughout the story makes it hard to pinpoint that any one character is possessed or overcome by the spirit of ghosts.

It is not a coincidence that every person living on Bly that the reader sees exhibits some sort of mental illness or distress. The governess projects apparitions, which she conjures on account of the fear instilled in her by Bly. The ghosts of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, the previous governess,  are a representation of those who were already overcome by the haunt of Bly. The childish actions of Miles and Flora make the governess more and more suspicious as the chain reaction of hysteria starts at Bly. The fear of the governess gravely affects the children as they literally become ill on account of the governess' disturbed state of mind.

Bly is the impetus which sparks the chain reaction of hysteria within its residents. The haunted estate personifies a ghostly aura that afflicts its inhabitants resulting in great fear and the projection of spirits and ghosts. In conclusion, Bly's haunted disposition is the origin of the horror within Henry James' The Turn of the Screw.

A Reflection on Steven Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence

Emotions Aroused from the Film

Throughout watching Artificial Intelligence, I experienced a mix of feelings and emotions. While for some time I wanted to ignore the concepts of which the film revolved around, the majority of the time I was captivated by some of the questions it presented to me.

Two Main Questions Being

• Will there come a day and age in which the "artificial life" that humans bestow will in fact be the only life remaining?
•  Could I ever love an artificial person?

In my lifetime, I have observed the rapid emergence of technology and science, which has called me to question and define my existence. There are man made mechanisms that clearly surpass the man himself. Does man control machine, or does machine control man?

The idea of artificial life, although startling, is in fact a realistic proposition. The movie presents the birth of artificial life in a period of which the limits of humans prove portentous. The global warming causes floods, which in turn effects crops, and ultimately causes death. It seems very plausible to create beings that may avoid the hampering limits of hunger and death, which humans so frequently experience. The questions of creating artificial life and whether that life would possibly outlive the human race are extraordinarily thought provoking.

"Could I ever love an artificial person?" This is the question that continuously popped into my head when seeing the face of David. The concept is so mind boggling and weird that I would have to simply  say that I couldn't. I never really thought of a robot or artificial intel as a companion, but rather a means to get things done. This film presents the idea that artificial intelligence can act as a companion and lover.  I could never see myself loving or feeling any emotion for that matter, to a robot. There is a certain medium of emotion, feeling, and sense in humans that I doubt any artificial creation will ever congruently experience.

The Instrument That Everyone Should Play

This Video Inspired Me to Play the Ukulele

The Uke is Played by Young and Old Alike

Why Did I Start Playing the Ukulele?

A few years ago, I decided that I was going to learn a new instrument. I was planning on guitar but found that learning guitar would be much too time consuming and that it would be too much time, effort, and money in the event that I would get lessons. After researching guitars, I came across the video on YouTube of Jake Shimabukuro playing his ukulele rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by the Beatles and was amazed to say the least. 

I began to research the ukulele and found that it would be the perfect instrument to learn. The ukulele only has four strings and 13-19 frets depending on size. The guitar has six strings and 19-24 frets. The ukulele is a much easier instrument to play on account of this. The ukulele is initially an excellent instrument based on its ease of play and its portability. 

The Different Sizes of the Ukulele:

• Soprano: 13 Frets
• Concert: 15 Frets
• Tenor: 17 Frets
• Baritone: 19 Frets

There are plenty of ukulele sites and blogs throughout the internet that will help you teach yourself to play the ukulele. These sites include plenty of the tabs and chords of your favorite songs and will get you started in no time. 

Some of the sites include:

• Ukulele Underground
• Ukulele Hunt
• Ukulele-Tabs

The ukulele is easy to pick up and the G C E A string tuning makes it very easy to learn the finger placement for chords. The ukulele has a beautiful resonating sound that is soft enough to play a lullaby, yet diverse enough to play rock. If you are worried about the uke not being loud enough for you to play with your friend's band, you can get an electric one that can be amplified.  The ukulele is very cheap compared to most other instruments because of its portable size.The ukulele is a diverse instrument that can easily be learned and sounds excellent.

Starting to play the ukulele was an awesome decision! I would advise that you do the same!

The Most Exhilarating Rush of Adrenaline I Have Ever Felt!

Surfing is by far the most exhilarating sport or activity I have ever participated in. The rush of adrenaline while gliding through the water and being pushed by the immense force of a wave is like none other. No two waves are the same, and as a surfer one must work in coordination with the wave. I have been lucky enough to experience surfing, and would recommend that everyone should learn to surf if they have the chance.

I spend at least two weeks out of the year at my cousins house in Laguna Beach, California and was introduced to surfing by my cousins. I have been able to get private surf instruction from a once professional surfer. 

Learning to surf is a gradual progression that starts off tough, yet continually gets easier. Most people learn to surf on a long foam board, which is about eight-feet in length and has little concave, providing a surface easily to balance on. I started off on a long foam board and learned how to stand up on the board in the moving wave. Once I understood the basic fundamentals of surfing and was comfortable moving with the wave, I moved on to a long fiberglass board with more concave and less weight. The long fiberglass board, also around eight-feet in length, allowed me to begin to turn the board in the wave instead of just riding in a straight line towards the beach. Once I mastered the maneuvering of the longboard, I moved on to a shorter fiberglass board. The short-board is a few inches longer than the surfer's height and offers the most maneuverability in the wave. 

My favorite thing about surfing is the adrenaline of paddling into a wave and the split second in which you stand up on the board, and either glide down the rippling wave or wipeout. When you are standing up on the board slicing through the water there is a certain feeling of peace. I find surfing so natural and epic at the same time. I have only stood in "the tube" of a wave a few times but when I was in the tube it felt like time stopped. Surfing requires a certain coordination of mind and body that is unlike any other sport and requires great balance and core strength. The feeling after catching a wave is unexplainable. I hope that you can experience this feeling sometime soon!

The Misogynist of a Phallocentric Era: Samuel Pepys

After examining the distasteful and objective view of women throughout the diary of Samuel Pepys, it can be determined that he is a misogynist. A misogynist is defined as one who looks down upon women and in the more harsh sense one who hates women. The era of which Pepys lived in was phallocentric, meaning it was centered upon the man in society.                                                                                  
There are various quotes throughout Pepys' diary that support his poor attitude towards women:   -At one point Pepys states, “I did with my elbow hit my wife a great blow over her face and nose”(“1 January 1662,” Pepys Diary). Pepys seemingly does not find it abnormal to hit his wife and willingly includes that he hits his wife throughout his diary.                                                                                       
-At the conclusion of an evening, Pepys dismally says,"There was a good and great dinner, and the company, Mr. William Montagu and his Lady(but she seemed so far from the beauty that I expected her from my Lady’s talk to be that it put me into an ill humour all the day, to find my expectation so lost)(“2 January 1662”). These statements embody the disrespect and objective view of women that Pepys has.

  -Speaking of his uncle Fenner’s wife, Pepys states, “to my uncle Fenner’s, where I found his new wife, a pitiful, old, ugly, illbred woman in a hatt, a midwife” (“23 January 1662”). Pepys has a strong distaste for women, especially the ugly ones or those who are not willing to please his libidinal desires. 
-Pepys is not hesitant nor does he show much of any discretion in his words and actions directed towards women. Annoyed with his maid, Pepys states, “So home and to read, I being troubled to hear my wife rate though not without cause at her mayd Nell, who is a lazy slut. So to prayers and to bed” (“12 January 1662”). The juxtaposition of him saying prayers directly after his rude remarks is an ironic display of his rashness towards women. 

             In conclusion, Pepys lived throughout a phallocentric era in which his extreme distaste and judgment of women characterize him as a misogynist. 

List of Works Cited

Pepys, Samuel. “January 1662”. Ed. Phil Gyford. pepysdiary.com. n.d Web. 18 January 2011.

The 25 Things You Didn't Know About Me

- My name is Carraig because my parents liked the name Peter, yet they didn't want a Peter Jr. They found that in Gaelic: Peter and Carraig both mean "rock"and they decided to name me Carraig.

- I have had plenty of odd injuries. I have broken my cheek bone, shattered my knee cap, and dislocated five ribs.

- In my free time, I enjoy playing the ukulele.(Check out my post on ukuleles here!)

- My favorite sport is surfing.(Check out my post about surfing here!)

- I have two little brothers. One of my brothers is a miniature me, while the other shares little resemblance with any family members.

- I went to the Junior Olympics for swimming when I was 9,10, and 11 years old. I never really liked the sport and quit when I was twelve. I participate in swimming now because it is one of the only sports I can participate in on account of a knee injury.

- One of my earliest memories is when my mom saved me from drowning when I was 3 years old.

- My favorite books will always be The Series of Unfortunate Events.


- My favorite cartoon was Dexter's Laboratory.


- When I was younger, I would occasionally faint when talking about the body in my science classes.

- I don't go a day without listening to some sort of music. One song I sometimes listen to before I go to sleep is "Venice" by the band Beirut.


- I enjoy traveling very much and have only been out of the United States once. The only place I have been that is out of the country is the Bahamas.

- A couple of my of pet peeves include excessive complaining and hypocrisy.

- My favorite meal is Surf & Turf(Lobster & Steak)

- I spent almost all of my First Communion money on Pokemon cards, which was a good choice since I got Charizard.

- My eyes change colors every so often. In the summer they were hazel, but now they are blue.

- It is one of my aspirations to travel around the world later in life. If I could travel to one place, it would probably be Australia.

- My favorite color has always been blue.

- My greatest fear is falling off the edge of a cliff.


- I have eaten four habaneros in my lifetime. The habanero is considered the second hottest pepper in the world.

- I have always wanted a twin.

- I have 34 first cousins.

- A few years ago, I met the Los Angeles Lakers at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago.

- I think that I will eventually end up somewhere in Southern California.

- Sometimes I wish that I could experience Inception.