The Turn of the Screw

Consider the role of the governess as the narrator of James’s story. Do you believe that she is a reliable narrator? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to reflect on the governess’s role as a narrator. The governess-as-narrator doesn’t just keep the reader spellbound, she also captivates the orator in the frame narrative who repeats her story to his captivated friends. Initially, there is little reason to doubt her reliability; however, as the novella progresses, the reader begins to see there is inconsistency in the information that she shares regarding her accounts of the children and the ghosts. Additionally, the manuscript is written in retrospect, as opposed to during her time at Bly. In this regard, the reader is even further removed from the true nature of the events, leaving more doubt as to what actually occurred at Bly. In this vein, James plays with the theme of Ambiguity and The Limits of Knowledge as a form of horror itself.