Focusing on chapter seven of "The turn of the screw", explain how Henry James creates tension for the reader.

Focusing on chapter seven of “The turn of the screw”, explain how Henry James creates tension for the reader.

In the “Turn of the Screw” the story line is focused on ghosts and tension. Henry James wrote the book in 1898 The novel is based on a governess who works in at a large country house and is in charge of two children called Flora and Miles. They are both innocent at the beginning of the story but they turn evil when ghosts appear at Bly. There are two ghosts called Peter Quint and Miss Jessel. The governess first spots Peter Quint on the top of the tower and Miss Jessel was seen by the lake by Flora. The governess begins to become very scared and loses trust in the children. Flora becomes so scared of the governess that Mrs Grose takes her to London. Miles also becomes scared at the end of the novel as he dies in the governess’ arms.

At the time Henry James wrote his novel horror stories were very popular. Authors would write but things such as big houses this creates the horror tension in the novel as there will be no contact to the outside world this makes the reader scared which causes tension and suspense. This leaves the novel a mystery. Henry James grammar in his novel is different from text written in recently. He uses long sentences and complex words throughout his text. This helps the reader understand the time the novel was written in. The novel also focuses on social class, dress, big houses and governesses. It is very rare to see these things matter in daily life today.

When James’ novel was featured in the magazine “Collier’s weekly” a cliffhanger was used. This creates tension, which makes the reader more likely to buy the magazines they want to read on.

The cliffhanger used in Chapter six creates tension and suspense to find out what is happening in Chapter seven:

Then I again shifted my eyes I faced what I had to face. (P 45)

Henry James tries to explain what she is doing but yet creates suspense and tension because we don’t actually get told what she sees across the lake. Henry James writes very well by holding back information and e have to use our imagination to find the answers.

Sentences in page 46 are a lot shorter than anywhere else in the book:

“Yes. But someone the child has. Someone you have.”

Henry James usually uses really long sentences but especially on page 46 ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

Then I again shifted my eyes I faced what I had to face. (P 45)

Sentences in page 46 are a lot shorter than anywhere else in the book:

“Yes. But someone the child has. Someone you have.”

Henry James usually uses really long sentences but especially on page 46 he uses short sentences. This helps to create tension and suspense, as the characters seem jumpy. They seem to get faster as the talk about the happenings. The reader tries to keep up with what is happening this contrasts with other parts of the book and creates tension and suspense.

Henry James creates tension and suspense for the reader by using delay. At the beginning of chapter seven, Henry James uses delay quite a lot through this chapter: -

“They know – its too monstrous: they know they know!”

“And what on earth-?”

The dashes in this quote show delay as they pause when they are talking as if the Governess is trying to hold back information. This makes the reader want to know what the character is going to say this creates tension and suspense. Mrs Grose gets confused and the governess doesn’t seem to want to give the answer. Mrs Grose asks questions that the reader is thinking about in their minds and if they aren’t thinking about the questions in their minds it places the questions in their minds. This creates tension and suspense. Later in the chapter the governess is still holding back information “I don’t see – what I don’t fear.” this again creates delay and she still doesn’t tell us the answer and leaves the reader trying to find out the answer by themselves.

Henry James uses ambiguity a lot throughout the novel: -

‘Tell me how you know,’ my friend simply repeated

‘Know, by seeing her?’

This makes the reader want to know, what does she know? This is not clear to the reader. At the end of the chapter we still don’t actually know what happens even at the end of the book. Henry James would want this so it could create tension and suspense for the following chapters. Also during chapter seven the governess is hinting questions to Mrs Grose to see whether she could get any information out of her: -

‘My predecessor – the one who died.’

‘Miss Jessel?’

‘Miss Jessel. You don’t believe me?’

The governess was hinting towards asking who it was but Mrs Grose had already answered the same question for her. This makes the governess in control throughout the conversation. This suggests that the governess is the stronger character and is able to ask questions and Mrs Grose should be able to give answers, as she is the weak side of the conversation.

There is also a lot of doubt throughout the chapter, whether the governess is lying or telling the truth.

‘Miss Jessel. You don’t you believe?’ I pressed

…‘How can u be sure?’

The governess cant be sure as the governess has she hasn’t seen a picture of Miss Jessel and they have never spoke of her. This creates tension and suspense as we begin to doubt the governess from what she saw and if she saw anything at all. This is a question the reader should be thinking about because the governess also seems a bit unsure too.

On page 49 Mrs Grose confirms there is a connection between Peter Quint and Mrs Jessel: -

‘He did what he wished.’

‘With her?’

‘With them all.’

This suggests that there was some kind of sexual relationship between Peter Quint and Mrs Jessel. This only suggests though, it does not say things fully. This creates tension and suspense for the reader. It also suggests that the sexual relationship was a bad one or maybe turned into rape:

“He did what he wished.”…

“It must have been also what she wished.” …

“Poor women- she paid for it.”

This suggests that Peter Quint took advantage of Miss Jessel and many other people too. Mrs Grose knows about this, this creates tension and suspense as the reader is asking them selves, how does Mrs Grose know about this?

Another point to the sexual relationship is that she got pregnant and killed herself: -

“Of her real reason for leaving? … And I still imagine. And what I imagine is dreadful (P 49)

This shows that Mrs Grose is trying to hold back information as she is imagining and doesn’t actually tell us how Mrs Jessel died, but it suggests that something dreadful happened to her. When Mrs Grose admits that Mrs Jessel is dead this creates tension and suspense as it suggests Mrs Jessel is a ghost.

All the way through out the book the reader is reading from the governess and her point of view, as the book is in first person, which is the governess. This makes the reader support the governess’ ideas and identify with the governess the most, as she is the main character. This also makes the reader imagine being her throughout the novel. Henry James wants the reader to be torn between doubt and belief so it creates tension and suspense for the reader, as they are not sure in who or what to believe. There are a few twist and turns in chapter seven to create tension and suspense for the reader: -

“Two hours ago, in the garden”- could scarce articulate –

“Flora saw!”…

“She has told you?” …

“Not a word – that’s the horror.”

This suggests that Flora isn’t innocent as she can see the ghost. Another reason that creates a twist is that Mrs Jessel is a women ghost and we have only met Peter Quint' ghost previously in the novel. This gives a twist and a turn in the novel because we don’t know who she is or what she is doing at Blys or where she has come from. Another turn in the novel is that Miss Jessel used to be the last governess, “My predecessor – the one who died.” This also shows she is a ghost and she has some unfinished business to sort out at Bly. This is another way in which Henry James creates suspense and tension for the reader.

The ending of chapter seven is the main point of tension and suspense through out the chapter: -

“Its far worse than I dreamed – they’re lost.”

This is a cliffhanger, which makes the reader want to read on. The cliffhanger is very exaggerated as the governess thinks she has lost both Miles and Floras soul and trust.

My opinion of Henry James’ novel differs. At the beginning of the novel Henry James explains very well, about what Bly looks like and the governess’ feelings. I like the style in which Henry James did this, but the main appearance of a ghost isn’t until chapter seven so this laves the reader waiting for some action.

The bad thing about Henry James novel is the context of the language. For me it was very hard to understand and I came across quite a few words that I didn’t understand. The sentence structure was also very difficult to follow, as the ones used were very long and complicated. After a while though I had got used to the structure, I enjoyed a good novel.

Essay written by Sam Brooksbank