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.
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