Review: Ghosts or a troubled mind?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 30, 2013
The Turn of the Screw is a well-known Victorian ghost story written by Henry James, whose predominant characteristic is ambiguity. Some modern readers will be disappointed, because the thrilling scenes are very subtly recorded and the ghosts seem to be pretty harmless. Taking in consideration that we get only the governess's account of the story - within the manuscript - we cannot always take her seriously.This novella can be interpreted in two different ways:A) the ghosts truly exist and communicate with the two children, while the governess tries to protect them.B) only the governess sees the ghosts - these supernatural beings are hallucinations caused by the woman's unsatisfied love/sexual life. I find this psychoanalytic approach more appealing, because there are some fading allusions that she was in love with the master (the uncle of the children). For example, on the first evening she saw Quint  seated up on the tower, she was daydreaming of encountering someone. Also, she sees Miss Jessel - the late governess - on the other side of the lake. (S. Freud considers water a symbol of the female gender.)  the present governess might fantasise of her own desires through the two ghosts: Mrs Grose tells her that Quint and Miss Jessel had an affair and that he (probably) abused Miles. The governess's obsessions of seeing ghosts and of suspecting her pupils of lying or concealing the secret - that they are also visited often by the ghosts - will harm the children in different ways.Personally, I would like to read this book from Mrs Grose's or sombody else's perspective, in order to get a clearer view of what really happened.