In this video I’ll summarize the plot of The Turn of the Screw in about 4 minutes and give you an analysis of the story. Okay, let’s get started with the introduction.
1. The Governess’s Arrival
The story begins during Christmas, where guests are telling ghost stories around a fire. A man named Douglas shares a manuscript written by a governess who looked after his sister’s children. The manuscript tells of a young woman who gets hired by a wealthy bachelor to take care of his niece and nephew at his country house called Bly. The children’s parents died in India, and their uncle wants nothing to do with raising them. He tells the governess that she must handle all problems herself and never contact him. The governess travels to Bly and meets Flora, the young girl, and the housekeeper Mrs. Grose, who both seem nice.
2. Miles Returns
Soon after, the governess learns that Miles, the ten-year-old boy, has been kicked out of his boarding school, though no one will say why. When Miles arrives, he seems charming and well-behaved, which confuses the governess. One evening while walking the grounds, she sees a strange man watching her from a tower of the house. Later, she spots the same man staring through a window. Mrs. Grose identifies him from the governess’s description as Peter Quint, the uncle’s former valet who had died. The governess realizes she has seen a ghost.
3. The Second Ghost
The governess then sees another ghost—a woman in black—by the lake where Flora is playing. Mrs. Grose identifies this ghost as Miss Jessel, the previous governess who also died. The governess becomes convinced that the children can see the ghosts too but are pretending not to. She believes Quint and Miss Jessel had a bad relationship while alive and had somehow corrupted the children. She grows more worried when she catches Miles wandering outside at night and when both children start behaving strangely, whispering to each other and giving the governess strange looks.
4. Flora’s Breakdown
After witnessing Flora seemingly talking to Miss Jessel’s ghost by the lake, the governess confronts the girl. Flora becomes very upset, denies seeing anything, and becomes sick with a fever. Mrs. Grose takes Flora away from Bly to protect her from the governess, who now seems dangerous to the housekeeper. The governess stays at Bly with Miles, determined to make him admit what she believes he knows about the ghosts and to save him from their evil influence.
5. The Final Confrontation
Left alone with Miles, the governess pushes him to explain why he was expelled from school. As they talk, the ghost of Peter Quint appears at the window. The governess shouts at the ghost and shields Miles, demanding the boy admit that Quint is there. In a moment of panic and confusion, Miles finally shouts, “Peter Quint—you devil!” and then falls into the governess’s arms. When she holds him, she realizes that Miles has died. The story ends with this shocking twist, leaving readers unsure if Miles died from fear, if the governess accidentally smothered him, or if the ghost somehow took his life.
Theme 1: Reality vs Imagination
One of the biggest themes in “The Turn of the Screw” is the question of what’s real and what’s imagined. We never know for sure if the ghosts actually exist or if they are only in the governess’s mind. Henry James, the author, wrote the story in a way that lets readers decide for themselves. The governess is the only one who sees the ghosts, and she becomes more anxious and paranoid as the story continues. This makes us wonder if she might be hallucinating or going crazy. But some details, like Miles knowing Quint’s name at the end, suggest the ghosts might be real. The story forces us to question what we believe about the supernatural and about trustworthy narrators.
Theme 2: Innocence and Corruption
Another important theme is the battle between innocence and corruption, especially regarding the children. The governess sees Miles and Flora as perfect, beautiful children who need protection from evil forces. She becomes obsessed with keeping them “pure” and uncorrupted by the ghosts. But this raises questions: Were the children truly innocent to begin with? Were they somehow corrupted by Quint and Miss Jessel before the story began? Or is the governess herself harming the children with her fear and suspicion? The story shows how adults often want to believe children are completely innocent, even when they show signs of knowing more about the world than adults expect. This theme makes us think about how we view childhood and how we try to protect children from things we think might harm them.