Article #209-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James

The story had held us, round the fire, sufficiently breathless, but
except the obvious remark that it was gruesome, as, on Christmas Eve in
an old house, a strange tale should essentially be, I remember no
comment uttered till somebody happened to say that it was the only case
he had met in which such a visitation had fallen on a child. The case,
I may mention, was that of an apparition in just such an old house as
had gathered us for the occasion—an appearance, of a dreadful kind, to
a little boy sleeping in the room with his mother and waking her up in
the terror of it; waking her not to dissipate his dread and soothe him
to sleep again, but to encounter also, herself, before she had
succeeded in doing so, the same sight that had shaken him. It was this
observation that drew from Douglas—not immediately, but later in the
evening—a reply that had the interesting consequence to which I call
attention. Someone else told a story not particularly effective, which
I saw he was not following. This I took for a sign that he had himself
something to produce and that we should only have to wait. We waited in
fact till two nights later; but that same evening, before we scattered,
he brought out what was in his mind.

“I quite agree—in regard to Griffin’s ghost, or whatever it was—that
its appearing first to the little boy, at so tender an age, adds a
particular touch. But it’s not the first occurrence of its charming
kind that I know to have involved a child. If the child gives the
effect another turn of the screw, what do you say to two children—?”

“We say, of course,” somebody exclaimed, “that they give two turns!
Also that we want to hear about them.”

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Turn of the Screw by Henry James**

Context of the Excerpt

The Turn of the Screw (1898) is a novella by Henry James, often considered one of the most ambiguous and psychologically complex ghost stories in English literature. The narrative is framed as a first-person account told by an unnamed governess who is caring for two orphaned children, Miles and Flora, at a remote estate called Bly. The story explores themes of innocence, corruption, supernatural horror, and the unreliability of perception.

The excerpt provided is from the prologue, which sets up the framing device of the story. A group of people is gathered around a fire on Christmas Eve, sharing ghost stories. One story—about a ghost appearing to a child—prompts Douglas, one of the listeners, to reveal that he knows of an even more disturbing case involving two children. This introduction foreshadows the governess’s tale, which will unfold in the main narrative.

Breakdown of the Excerpt

1. Setting and Atmosphere

The scene is a Christmas Eve gathering in an old house, a classic Gothic setting that evokes warmth (the fire) contrasted with eerie superstition (ghost stories).
The phrase "sufficiently breathless" suggests the listeners are already in a state of suspense, primed for horror.
The mention of "an old house" reinforces the Gothic tradition, where ancient, isolated dwellings often harbor dark secrets.

2. The Initial Ghost Story

The first story recounted involves:
- A child (a "little boy") seeing a "dreadful" apparition while sleeping beside his mother.
- The mother, instead of comforting him, also sees the ghost, making the horror shared and inescapable.
This tale establishes a key theme: the vulnerability of children to supernatural terror, which will be central to The Turn of the Screw.
The phrase "waking her not to dissipate his dread" implies that the ghost is inescapable, even for an adult—hinting at the governess’s later inability to protect Miles and Flora.

3. Douglas’s Response and the "Turn of the Screw" Metaphor

Douglas, who will later reveal the governess’s manuscript, responds with a chilling escalation:
- He agrees that a child’s involvement makes the ghost story more disturbing ("adds a particular touch").
- But he one-ups the tale: "what do you say to two children?"
The phrase "turn of the screw" is introduced here as a metaphor for heightened tension:
- Just as tightening a screw increases pressure, the addition of a second child intensifies the horror.
- The listeners immediately grasp this, exclaiming: "they give two turns!"
This foreshadows the dual horror of the governess’s story—both children, Miles and Flora, will be haunted (or imagined to be haunted).

4. Narrative Technique and Suspense

The prologue uses delayed revelation:
- Douglas doesn’t immediately share his story; he waits "two nights later", building anticipation.
- The line "We waited in fact till two nights later" mirrors the gradual unfolding of dread in the main narrative.
The phrase "what was in his mind" suggests that Douglas’s tale (the governess’s account) is psychologically complex, not just a simple ghost story.

5. Themes Introduced in the Excerpt

Innocence and Corruption: The focus on children implies a violation of innocence, a central concern in the novella.
The Unreliable Narrator: The framing device (a story within a story) casts doubt on the truth of the governess’s account before she even speaks.
Shared Horror: The ghost is not just seen by one person but confirmed by another, raising questions about collective fear and madness.
Escalation of Fear: The "turn of the screw" metaphor suggests that horror is not static but progressive, a theme that plays out in the governess’s spiraling paranoia.

6. Literary Devices

Foreshadowing: The initial ghost story mirrors key elements of the governess’s tale (a child seeing a ghost, an adult failing to protect them).
Dramatic Irony: The readers (and the listeners in the prologue) are aware of the escalation before the governess’s story begins.
Metaphor ("turn of the screw"): Represents increasing psychological and supernatural pressure.
Framing Device: The Christmas Eve setting and the layered storytelling (Douglas recounting the governess’s manuscript) create distance, making the reader question what is "real."

7. Significance of the Excerpt

Establishes the Novella’s Tone: The prologue sets up The Turn of the Screw as a psychological ghost story, not just a supernatural one.
Introduces the Central Conflict: The idea of children as targets of horror (or as vessels for adult projections) is planted here.
Prepares for Ambiguity: By framing the story as a secondhand account, James ensures that the reader never knows whether the ghosts are real or figments of the governess’s imagination.
The "Turn of the Screw" as a Structural Device: The metaphor becomes a recurring motif—each new revelation in the governess’s tale "turns the screw" further, increasing tension.

Connection to the Larger Work

This excerpt is crucial because it:

Sets up the governess’s unreliability—her story is filtered through Douglas, who may have his own biases.
Introduces the idea of children as vulnerable to supernatural forces (or to adult corruption).
Uses the "turn of the screw" as a warning: The horror will not be a single event but a progressive, tightening dread.
Blurs the line between ghost story and psychological study—is the real horror the ghosts, or the governess’s mind?

In the full novella, the governess becomes obsessed with the idea that the children are being corrupted by the ghosts of former servants (Peter Quint and Miss Jessel). The question of whether these ghosts are real or projections of her own repressed desires and fears makes The Turn of the Screw a masterpiece of ambiguous horror.

Final Thoughts

This prologue is a masterclass in suspense. By the time Douglas asks, "what do you say to two children?", the reader is already primed for a story that is not just scary, but psychologically unsettling. The "turn of the screw" is not just a metaphor for increasing fear—it’s a promise that the novella will twist expectations, leaving the reader questioning what is real and what is imagined.

Questions

Question 1

The narrator’s observation that the initial ghost story was “the only case he had met in which such a visitation had fallen on a child” serves primarily to:

A. establish a benchmark against which Douglas’s subsequent revelation gains its rhetorical force by inversion.
B. highlight the rarity of supernatural encounters in Gothic literature involving minors.
C. underscore the psychological fragility of children as a narrative device to elicit pathos.
D. foreshadow the governess’s later failure to protect the children in her care.
E. critique the Victorian cultural tendency to shield children from discussions of mortality.

Question 2

Douglas’s delayed disclosure of his own story—waiting “two nights later”—is most effectively interpreted as a:

A. narrative contrivance to mimic the governess’s own hesitancy in confronting the supernatural.
B. strategic pause to amplify the listeners’ (and readers’) anticipatory dread.
C. reflection of his skepticism about the authenticity of the initial ghost story.
D. structural parallel to the governess’s gradual unraveling in the main narrative.
E. subversion of the Gothic trope of immediate, impulsive confession.

Question 3

The phrase “turn of the screw” functions in this passage as all of the following EXCEPT:

A. a metaphor for the escalation of psychological tension.
B. a literal reference to the mechanical act of tightening a screw.
C. an ironic commentary on the listeners’ complicity in heightening their own fear.
D. a foreshadowing of the governess’s increasingly paranoid interpretations of events.
E. a narrative device to signal the shift from collective storytelling to individual obsession.

Question 4

The collective response to Douglas’s question—“We say, of course, that they give two turns!”—reveals most clearly the group’s:

A. uncritical embrace of the logic of escalation as a form of narrative entertainment.
B. genuine belief in the supernatural as a tangible threat to children.
C. desire to challenge Douglas’s authority as a storyteller.
D. subconscious projection of adult anxieties onto the figure of the child.
E. recognition of the children as symbolic vessels for Victorian moral decay.

Question 5

The passage’s framing of the ghost story as a “visitation” that “fell on a child” is linguistically significant because it:

A. personifies the supernatural as an agentive force, absolving the adults of responsibility.
B. echoes biblical language to invoke a sense of divine retribution.
C. emphasizes the child’s passivity, aligning with Gothic tropes of female victimhood.
D. introduces ambiguity about whether the “visitation” is external or a manifestation of adult perception.
E. critiques the Victorian preoccupation with childhood innocence as a performative ideal.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: A

Why A is most correct: The narrator’s remark establishes a baseline (a single child’s encounter) against which Douglas’s revelation (two children) derives its impact. The rhetorical force of Douglas’s contribution lies in its inversion of the initial premise—not merely matching but doubling the stakes. This creates a dialectical tension that propels the narrative forward. The passage hinges on this contrast, making A the most defensible answer.