The first impression we get of Bly is that it is a big house on a bright sunny day in a beautiful atmosphere. But at the end chapter 1 we can see that inside it is dull, unclean and half empty. This creates mystery because we wouldn’t expect this setting for a ghost story. The first impression we get of Mrs Grose is that she is very pleased to see the Governess. We know this because the Governess says in chapter 1 “The one appearance indeed that in this early outlook might have made me shrink again was that of her being so inordinately glad to see me”.
The first impression we get of Flora is that is a kind and beautiful child we know this because the Governess says at the start of the story “She was the most beautiful child I had ever seen”. On the first night she hears wired noises she thinks she can hear a child crying and footsteps at her door. I know this because it says in the text “I believed I recognised, faint and far the cry of a child”. This creates suspense because she doesn’t know whether there is someone behind the door or if it is her imagination.
The Governess tells the story in the first person narrative this means that she is telling the story in her own view. We know this straight away when it says on page 24 “I remember as a thoroughly pleasant impression the broad clear front”. I think the story would be different if it was told by some else because if Mrs Grose was telling the story she might include things like the journey when she took Flora to London and when she got back she found Miles dead. The first person has a huge affect on the story because it is the person who we usually believe. The language Henry James uses does not make the language more confusing because it is not hard to understand.
The Governess loves the children at the start of the story but throughout the story she turns against them. I know she had loved them because she says chapter 4 “My charming work was just my life with Miles and Flora”. A quote, which tells us that she hated them, is “She had turned common and almost ugly”. She turned against them because she thought that they were behind all ghosts that appear to her. When the two children are speaking to each other the Governess gets suspicious. This creates mystery because we wonder whether they have any think to do with all the ghosts she sees. The Governess’s feelings for the uncle influences her actions I know this because she won’t go to him for help because the he told her not to contact him again and she stands by it. I think she is wrong to do this because she is getting so stressed out that she might do some think that she will regret.
Mrs Grose is a nice loving person and is a very important character because she tells the background of house and identifies the two ghosts. When the Governess tells that “He has red hair very red close curled and a pale face”. She knew almost immediately that it was Peter Quint. I know this because it says at the end of chapter 5 “She flattered but a second ‘Quint’ she cried Quint”. She is also very loyal to the children, when the Governess says they are evil, Mrs Grose tries to defend them I know this because she says in the text “It all lies in a half a dozen words”.
In my opinion of the story of this novel I think that the story is full of mystery and suspense. It made me want to read on after every page. I do believe the Governess when she talks about the ghosts because she gives descriptions of them and Mrs Grose knows who they are. I think that when Flora finds out that Miles is dead she would be really upset and would go mad at the Governess I think this because she was very close to Miles.
In conclusion I have found out that the Governess does not tell the uncle about the ghosts because she doesn’t want to break her promise. Also Mrs Grose is a very important person because without her we would not know who the ghosts were. All in all I have found the story to be full of mystery and suspense especially where the ghost appeared for the first time on the roof.
