Sheppard

Sheppard

Elizabeth A. Sheppard analyzed “The Turn of the Screw” in order to understand what the author’s intention was and some of the elements of the plot, i.e. if the ghosts were real or the governess suffered from “mental illness”. Sheppard based her analysis on biographical research and on what Henry James read or did not read before writing the novella.

ü  She affirms that T.T.S. is based on the book called “The Proceedings” of the Society for Psychical Research”, an organization that believes in psychic and paranormal events and abilities. She explains that James could have never read or known about the existence of “Freud or Breuer’s Studies in Hysteria,” unless the philosopher and psychologist William James (Henry James’s brother) or Frederic Myers had influenced Henry to read them.

ü  She believes that after the death of his sister Alice who suffered from hysteria, James should not have continued reading about scientific treatises on hysteria.

ü  James might have been more interested in “The Proceedings” (1883) or “The Phantasms of the living” (1886) rather than in psychiatric material to write the novella. In TTS there are many details that are connected with these two books.

ü  She says that the “ghost are not mere hallucinations” that the governess experienced. Sheppard interprets this as “evidence against Freudian non-apparitionist readings.”

ü  Narrative frame: at the beginning of the story, we can notice the intention of the book about haunted children and not about the problems that the governess had. This can be seen with the recommendation that Douglas made about the governess, or with the expulsion of Miles from the school or with the bad language of Flora.

ü  Sheppard insists that the governess did not express “repressed sexuality” because of her love for her employer. Also, Sheppard points out that the first time the governess saw Quint was not because of this repressed sexuality but because she was daydreaming about her employer and it was not him who appeared to her.

ü  From the point of view of the Society for Psychical Research, the novella can be interpreted as a ghost story in which some kind of force is seen after death. “Quint and Miss Jessel died some months before” and clearly the governess was having a kind of connection with them. As regards Miles and Flora, they might have not seen anything or they could have been lying.

ü  Another interpretation could be “thought- transference or telepathy between living persons” In the story, Miles and Flora could have been obsessed with the people dead and the governess could have received these images of the deceased telepathically.

ü  The governess tried to protect the children from the evil ghosts.

ü  Sheppard affirms that Miles died and was damned because the governess performed an exorcism on him.

ü  NAMES:

      - Peter Quint: This name reminds Sheppard about the stage-manager of “A Midsummer   Night’s dream”. Also, Quint’s physical appearance helps Sheppard make a comparison with George Bernard Shaw. According to her, there was a strong dislike between James and Shaw. Quint did not wear a hat and was not dressed in an appropriate way. These characteristics “are reminiscent of Shaw’s carelessness”, which was something that James hated. James was a very elegant person.

           - Jessel: is a Jewish name which can be reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Jessica or the judge of the case of Annie Besant.

          - Miles and Flora: Latin names that represent the ideal male and female.

          - The Governess: she has no name. This is an authentic characteristic of Victorian times.

To conclude, I don’t really know if Sheppard believes in ghosts but she examined The Turn of the Screw from an apparitionist point of view. She refutes psychiatric material such as Freudian arguments.

I am a firm believer in ghosts and apparitions. I had some personal experiences and I know many cases of this subject. Imagine that I cannot believe that the governess suffered from mental illness.