References to Fielding’s Amelia are very important in this passage as characters and events in The Turn of the Screw relate to those of Fielding’s novel. Amelia, which the governess is reading just before Quint appears to her on the stairs, contains an “enemy”, “adventurer”, “criminal”. These words used to describe Quint in the final paragraph, are derived from this book. The plot of this book focuses upon a woman who shows great loyalty to her man, something we see as characteristic of our governess. Amelia also contains stories of young women ruined by attractive men, including Mrs. Bennet. Mrs. Bennet’s life is somewhat similar to that of the governess’. She too had her own infatuation with a gentleman in Harley Street. Perhaps the book has excited in her an hysterical hallucination?
Following on from her read, James also presents us with the ambiguity of time - time playing an important role in determining the clarity and reliability of events. The governess is reluctant to look at her watch; increasing the vagueness of time. The duration of her meeting with Quint can only be five minutes. When she stops reading the book it is “horribly late”, but surely not late enough for her to see “The yielding dusk of earliest morning”. What explains the hours of missing time? This is strong evidence for the governess’ parasomniac state, a state, of half waking, half sleeping. It is likely that her previous encounters have caused her to produce disturbing hallucinations. “With his spell all scattered” gives the reader the impression of a dream state. This theory has strong supporting evidence but, but due to the passage’s retrospective narration, it may just be a case of blurred memory.
Light is also an important source of imagery. The visibility at “dusk” is somewhat similar to that of a flickering “candle”; both possess ambiguity and vagueness. James has intentionally prepared us visually for the encounter with Quint. The clarity of vision and the possibility of a dream state may question the real presence of Quint. The imagery of light is extended into the second paragraph but in a more reflective way. “Polish”, “glimmer”, and “high glass” are adjectives that promote a sense of reflection. Perhaps the governess is reflected within the ghost. There is further evidence for this intimacy as they are “common” people and the governess states that “he knew me as well as I knew him”. The positioning of the characters on the stairs maps out the class hierarchy of Victorian society. Quint appears below her, at the bottom of the stairs, and does not come any higher. The man, whom she calls a “low wretch”, referring to his class and physical position, finally turns and leaves. In this symbolic instance, the governess has dissatisfied Quint’s ambitions to pull her down to his lower class background. Instead, the Governess rises higher symbolising her gain in confidence in dealing with Quint. Quint is capable of corrupting Flora and the governess is a barrier, imagery again referred to in Chapter 12- “to shorten the distance and overcome the obstacle”. One can relate this to Quint’s ambitions as he must overcome the governess in order to reach the children.
I feel that the passage needs to be appreciated in terms of its structure. The passage is written in a retrospective narrative, the reliability of which is questionable. There are three main paragraphs. James’ familiar pattern is present within this chapter too. The first paragraph sets the scene as it creates terror and prepares the reader for a fearful experience. The second paragraph focuses upon the main event, in this case the appearance of Quint. The final paragraph disperses the tension. The figure of Quint disappears and the pace of the encounter dies. The pace that is created mainly in the second paragraph is crafted by the use of hypo-taxis earlier.
Having analysed the passage in detail, one can say that this is a sensationalist piece of writing. There is a general feeling of intimate knowledge mixed with a state of excitement. James’ enhanced literary techniques influence the views of the readers in a significant way. Throughout the passage, there is evidence of rich descriptive language and literary devices that intensify the feeling of dread and a sense of ambiguity crucial to James’ purposes.
BY
Adnan Malik