What is the role of uncertainty, Both psychoanalytically and in regards to the Turn of

the screw?

The role of uncertainty in a given situation is that it raises questions! The essence

behind the impact left upon a reader of the novel, is the overriding sense of multiple

threads of uncertainty weaved throughout the storytelling experience. A primary

consideration, which therefore follows, is to query the stability or instability of both

the male and female figures in the text, as one experiences them when reading as well

as when psychoanalytic interpretations introduced.

What is the representation of male stability?

The representation of the male found within the text is that of Douglas, Quint, The

Governess’s male employer and even the text’s masculine rendering of Miles. The

male aspect becomes clearly visible when thrown back in the context of a comparison

with the female characteristics of the Governess. The Governess’s emotions are

clearly revealed to the reader where as that of most the males figures are not. The

males are described as expressing themselves in very definite terms as and when it

relates to themselves as individuals. The governess’s employer does not wish to be

communicated with, Miles does not at any stage speak of his expulsion from school,

while the Governess is alarmed by his failure to speak of his past and fully reveal

himself. In contrast to this, but in continuance with the theme of uncertainty, is the

instability present when male inward sentiments are expressed, namely, for one, when

Douglas remarks, that he considered the Governess to be “a most charming person,

but she was ten years older than I.”(pg.2) This is an instance of an inward revelation,

which is instantly disqualified by the speaker as having no intimate revelatory

feeling towards the Governess. This argument also adds credence to the question of

whether or not Douglas is in fact Miles, given that both were ten years younger than

the governess.

How is the Governess’s character over determined and if so what difference does

sexual difference make?

When considering the Governess and as such rendering a psychoanalytic

interpretation of her, it is necessary to take note that she is the primary female figure

within the text, especially in regards to her nature inwardly, which is revealed to the

reader in numerous degree’s of detail. Therefore, it is her inward nature which may

considered most pertinent to a psychoanalytic interpretation of her. To begin with she

does appear to be unstable in the way of the extreme degree of affection she expresses

towards both Miles and Flora, a quotation that exhibits this is the following, in

relation to Miles, “Of course I was under the spell, and the wonderful part is that,

even at the time, I perfectly knew I was. But I gave myself up to it; it was an antidote

to any pain, and I had more pains than one.” (Pg.19)

This quote is revealing in two aspects; one, in spite of her knowledge of Mile’s

alleged transgressions, she willingly puts this aside in favor of upholding her

previously held, highly favorable disposition towards him, while secondly, she does

so knowingly, with the intent of shielding her self from the emotional pain of the

alternative, which may be considered an example of displacement of what she

considers an unacceptable outcome, inwardly as it pertains to her outer reality.

In addition the uncertainty created within the text in regards to the reliability of her

accounts when seeing the initial male figure, but also because of the psychosexual
elements, towards an apparent desire for a male, that are present when she initially

experiences visual exchanges with the as yet unknown male figure, stating before the

incident that “it would be charming as a charming story suddenly to meet someone.

Someone would appear there at the turn of path and would stand before me and smile

and approve. I didn’t ask more than that – I only asked that he should know.”(Pg.15)

What is clear from this quotation are primary elements of her own inward desire, that

she should meet some, that they should approve of her and that a certain ‘he’ should

know, however it is left to our interpretation as to who this is.

Furthermore that a male figure should suddenly appear as a result of this expressed

desire, goes on to support the notion of the representation of a female figure as being

shrouded in uncertainty and hence instability.

Is Douglas Miles and does it matter?

The question of whether Douglas is Miles is one that may be considered pertinent,

primarily because the doubt exists in itself, this implies that based on the

interpretation given, the outcomes of a psychoanalytic reading may vary considerably,

particularly as it relates to one’s psychosexual interpretation of the relationship

between Miles and the Governess and as such, how it correlates to our interpretation

of Douglas. What I consider to be most important about the question of the identity of

Douglas and Miles is the manner in which it relates the representation of male and

female figures, namely that the true nature of what either male figure was expressing

at any given time is subject to immense uncertainty because of the ever present doubt

as to who’s feeling are in fact being represented, which creates a strong argument for

the unrevealed and undetermined nature of masculine inward emotion throughout the

text, in contrast to the certainty given towards the female inward expression, which is
subject to it’s own unique doubt because one begins to doubt the outward expression

of the female figures.

In conclusion it is my opinion that Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw is not just a

Gothic novel but a very revealing and yet complex rendering of social commentary,

especially as it relates to Victorian Society, yet remaining relevant to the modern

reader with the primary epithet being that society is profoundly expressive of

repression, because of the manner in which the revelation of male inward expression

is continually intended to remain in doubt, and when expression does occur outwardly

it is subject to doubt where as the opposite is true for female’s, the nature of what is

considered excessive inner expression and concurrently its outward expression lead to

one doubt the stability and trustworthiness of the individual in question.

The Turn of the screw comments on the repressed nature of both Male and Female

expression because of severe doubt both are subject to in spite of their expression

occurring in two opposing

The Governess’s own words? Are they her own words?

Class Comments
Matthew: Positive Thesis on uncertainty. Conclusion should refer back to the

theme of uncertainty…Draw more on the larger point as it pertains to male’s

and females.

Giovanni: The explanation could be cleaner, with examples in the more

difficult ideas.

Rachael:Male and female

Summer

Jonothan: Thesis Statement to Begin with at the begining

Diane:

Nathan: Essay form and develop a thesis

Cesar: Restate and break into smaller components, as it is a complex

argument.

111: Broader understanding as it relates outside of our classwork.

112: Concepts instead of Characters. More Freud support.

Janet: How uncertainty about Gender creates anxiety

To be a man is Outwardly stable but inwardly unknown.

Female: Inwardly known but outwardly Unstable.