The Turn of the Screw

Setting and Frame Narrative

The story begins with a group of people gathered around a fire in an old house on Christmas Eve, sharing ghost stories. One of the guests, Douglas, announces he has a particularly chilling tale. It’s about a governess he once knew and her experiences, which he recounts through her written manuscript.


The Governess Arrives

The unnamed governess is a young, inexperienced woman who is hired to take care of two orphaned children, Flora and Miles, at a remote English estate called Bly. The children's uncle, their legal guardian, refuses to involve himself in their care, placing all responsibility on the governess and insisting she never contact him.

At Bly, the governess is charmed by the beauty of the estate, the kindness of the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose, and the apparent innocence of the children. Miles, who has just been expelled from school for mysterious reasons, seems angelic, and Flora is sweet and delightful. However, the governess soon senses something dark and foreboding beneath the surface.


Supernatural Encounters

The governess begins to see ghostly figures around Bly. She first spots a man standing on a tower and later at a window. Mrs. Grose identifies him as Peter Quint, the former valet, who is now dead. The governess also sees a spectral woman near the lake, whom she learns is Miss Jessel, the children's previous governess, also deceased.

Mrs. Grose reveals that Quint and Miss Jessel had an inappropriate relationship and were a corrupting influence on the children. The governess becomes convinced that the ghosts are attempting to possess Flora and Miles, using them as conduits for their evil intentions.


The Governess’s Growing Obsession

The governess becomes increasingly fixated on protecting the children from the ghosts. She believes the children are aware of the apparitions but are pretending not to see them. Her paranoia intensifies as she interprets the children’s behavior as evidence of their corruption.

Flora, once the image of sweetness, becomes withdrawn and hostile after the governess accuses her of seeing Miss Jessel by the lake. Meanwhile, Miles grows more secretive, refusing to explain why he was expelled from school.


Confrontations and Tragedy

The tension reaches its peak when Flora is found wandering near the lake. The governess accuses her of being under Miss Jessel’s influence, but Flora denies seeing anything. Distressed, Flora becomes ill and is removed from Bly by Mrs. Grose.

The governess remains at the estate with Miles. In a final confrontation, the governess presses Miles to confess why he was expelled. He admits to some vague wrongdoing, possibly involving influence from Quint, though the exact nature is ambiguous.

As they speak, the ghost of Quint appears in the window. The governess shields Miles and proclaims victory over the ghost. However, when she turns back to Miles, she finds him lifeless in her arms. It’s unclear whether he died from fright, supernatural forces, or the governess’s own overbearing intensity.


Themes

1. Ambiguity - The story deliberately leaves key questions unanswered: Are the ghosts real, or are they hallucinations of the governess? Is she a heroic protector or an unreliable narrator descending into madness?


2. Corruption and Innocence - The governess’s obsession with protecting the children highlights the fragility of innocence and the impact of moral and emotional corruption.


3. Power and Control - The governess’s authority over the children and her escalating paranoia reflect the complexities of power dynamics and isolation.

Conclusion

The story’s ambiguous ending has made The Turn of the Screw a classic of psychological horror and suspense. Readers are left questioning the reality of the supernatural elements and the reliability of the governess, ensuring the tale continues to provoke debate and interpretation.