At first glance, Bly appears to be a rather lonely place. The vividly bleak backdrop for The Turn of the Screw houses a handful of servants, two orphaned children, and ghosts who fade in and out of view. But there are others present who are less obtrusive yet just as influential as Peter Quint and Miss Jessel. Peering into and out of Bly's windows and mirrors, engaging with the text and the lingering trace of author Henry James, a crowd of real and virtual readers hope to catch a glimpse of a specter or to unravel a clever Freudian slipknot that will tell them something: They may be looking for that which they think James intended as the text's truth - a transcendental center - or maybe they subconsciously wish to see a reflection of themselves, somehow transformed by the reading, smiling back from the gilded, glassy panes.
Whatever they are seeking, this crew of interactive observers might be surprised to find out that there is not only one answer to James's literary mystery and that the worth of their readings centers on effect, not meaning. It is futile to seek the "answer" that is supposed to tell because, as Douglas forewarns, "the story won't tell." The langue of Bly is based on deceptions and ambiguities, ways in which "truth" is kept at bay. But many readers are unaware that they are really seeking effect, and thus experience effect only when they think they are
searching for meaning. Whatever the motivation, the pack should not be deterred from the quest, for the creation that Wolfgang Iser calls the text's "esthetic pole," --its true value--depends upon a conscientious reader to notice the text's gaps and ambiguities, fill in some of the holes, and to revel in the pleasure, finally, ...
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...ist's dream, how reassuring for everyone else that it will never happen.
Works Cited
Felman, Shoshana. "Henry James: Madness and the Risks of
Practice." 1977. The Turn of the Screw. Ed. Deborah Esch
and Jonathan Warren. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1999. 196-228.
Iser, Wolfgang. "The Reading Process." Reader Response
Criticism. 1974. Ed. Jane Tompkins. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1980. 50-68.
James, Henry. The Turn of the Screw. Ed. Deborah Esch and
Jonathan Warren. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1999.
Lustig, T.J. "Henry James and the Ghostly." 1994. The
Turn of the Screw. Ed. Deborah Esch and Jonathan Warren.
2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1999. 255-60.
Tompkins, Jane. "The Reader in History." Reader Response
Criticism. Ed. Jane Tompkins. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1980. 201-26.
In conclusion, although Beowulf possessed many heroic qualities he would not be considered a hero in today’s world. A hero varies from culture to culture. The Anglo-Saxon appreciated different things in a person that what do not we appreciate today. Many things have changed a lot with time, the requisites for being considered a hero have also changed. Today we do not like to solve problems with war. Pride and honor are not as important as the willingness one has to help others. Beowulf is not feeling that contact with people he doesn’t identify with them because he believes himself better, a part of a hero´s cycle is to be identified with the community. To be part
The Screwtape Letters are a fictional series of letters compiled into a book and written by the highly acclaimed apologist and author, C.S. Lewis. The Letters discuss topics such as salvation, the Christian lifestyle, depression, love, and many other subjects that are pivotal to the way we live, think, and interact with others and the world around us. Nearly the entire book’s perspective is given to us by Screwtape, a senior demon who corresponds with his nephew, Wormwood, to mentor him on the damning of his charge. Wormwood’s task is to tempt a man living in 1960’s
In the famous novel, The Turn of the Screw, Henry James tells a story of a governess who
society. In Beowulf, Beowulf shows extraordinary courage and strength that gives him special status. This notion is shown, when Beowulf fights Grendel and Grendel’s mother, but it is especially noticeable when he fights the dragon. When Beowulf fought Grendel others had the courage to attempt to fight him. The same is true with Grendel’s mother. When Beowulf goes to fight the Dragon, the other warriors cower away into the woods. Beowulf shows his courage by fighting the Dragon. Even when Beowulf is fighting the Dragon and realizes that his sword can do no damage he continues to fight. After Beowulf is on the verge of death he shows a combination of courage and strength by delivering the death blow to the Dragon, and not just laying down to die. Beowulf’s strength is shown when he is able to actually do battle with the Dragon; any normal man would have fallen to the dragon immediately.
The experiment is aimed at giving a better understatement of osmosis process and the different conditions in which osmosis occurs.
When he first heard about a fiendish monster terrorizing the Danes, he decided that he must journey to slay this beast. He did not have any fears when traveling to the land of the Danes, and decided that if he shall die in the course of battle with that monster, he would accept his fate without remorse. He did not fear death, but rather welcomed it should it be his fate. This is also true when Beowulf learns of another fiendish monster that had intruded upon his territory. When he hears this news, he decides at once he must slay the dragon before it terrorizes his people and destroys even more of his land. When Beowulf is fighting the dragon, he is overwhelmed by the monsters might and fierce flames, but yet he still does not give in, and continues to fight. Thanks to the help of a loyal follower, Beowulf slays the dragon, but at a very costly price: his life. Though dying, Beowulf is not afraid, but rather seems fulfilled, and passes on his throne to his loyal follower.
Shakespearian tales always leave us with a plethora to ponder about the Elizabethan age and Shakespeare himself. “Othello” is no break in this mold, leaving us to ponder the roll of Iago within the harsh tale of love and murder. Iago is the one to tell Othello of his wife’s betrayal with Cassio, hence making up a story that will work to his favor yet betray those around him. Iago betrays his wife, Emilia, but not only her as he drags Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio into the mix of lies and the hatred he is spreading to improve his rank with Othello. But were Iago’s acts unjust and done for the sake of it? Is he a heartless man who’s only happiness is to bring sorrow upon others? No, Iago has a just reason for what he does, even though he causes the deaths of Cassio, Emilia, and Desdemona in his search for revenge; Iago is not a heartless fiend, just a man wronged.
A hero is defined as a man distinguished courage or ability; someone who is admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. When people are oppressed by an evil tyrant, a hero will rise above the circumstance, and conquer the evil that has harmed the people he wants to protect. The Anglo Saxon writer produced a great representation of a hero in Beowulf. If alive today, the protagonist Beowulf would be considered a hero. He possess attributes such as superhuman strength, unshakable bravery, and the willingness to not ever give up until the fight was won. Beowulf has the same attributes that many of the other heroes we have come to know have. The story Beowulf will paint a clear picture of what a hero should be like and show that Beowulf would be considered a hero if alive.
In the history of written literature, it is difficult not to notice the authors who expand their reader's style and manner of reading. Some write in an unusual syntax which forces the reader to utilize new methods of looking at a language; others employ lengthy allusions which oblige the reader to study the same works the author drew from in order to more fully comprehend the text. Some authors use ingenious and complicated plots which warrant several readings to be understood. But few authors have used all these and still more devices to demand more of the reader. James Joyce, writer of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, uses extraordinarily inventive and intricate plot construction, creative and often thought-provoking word constructions, allusions to works both celebrated and recondite, and complex issues and theories when challenging his readers to expand their method of reading.
reader creates “supplementary meaning” to the text by unconsciously setting up tension, also called binary opposition. Culler describes this process in his statement “The process of thematic interpretation requires us to move from facts towards values, so we can develop each thematic complex, retaining the opposition between them” (294). Though supplementary meaning created within the text can take many forms, within V...
I will argue that it is the narrative frames enclosing The Turn of The Screw that are largely responsible for the reception the book has received. They serve two main purposes; one, to build up an element of suspense and tension before the governess's account actually begins, thus heightening the potential for horror and terror in the text; and two, to cast uncertainty on the reliability of the narrators and hence to increase the ambiguity and scope for interpretation of the text. In fact, I will argue that these frames do not assist the reader in interpreting the action, but are actually used by James to deliberately confound the reader and foster an ambiguous atmosphere.
In the beginning of the story, a mythical monster named Grendel who is attacking King Hrothgar’s mead hall Herot. When Beowulf hears of this tragedy, he volunteers to go and fight the mythical beast. The author wrote, “So Beowulf chose the mightiest men he could find the bravest and the best of the Geats, fourteen In all.” Once Beowulf arrives, he is given a feast and then decides to stay in Herot overnight to confront Grendel. Grendel then arrives and kills one of the Geats before Beowulf can get into the battle. Beowulf then goes hand-to-hand against Grendel and ends up tearing off Grendel’s shoulder. Grendel then retreats to his lair to die. This is only a mere example of why Beowulf is a hero.
Chapter Six is an important section of The Turn of the Screw, as it involves many of the themes of the story, as well as reflecting its general narrative structure. James' novel is phenomenally complex; it has an incredible ambiguity to it, which allows for some very outlandish and far-fetched ideas to be formulated. A 'theme' can almost be drawn from almost every other sentence, if one so desires. It is deciding which issues have a little more to them than there may seem at first and which are what they appear, nothing more, which is difficult. As with many books of its ilk, over-analysing is a serious essay writing hazard.
Effectively using these elements in a piece of literature enhances the reader’s curiosity. One prime example of such usage of these elements is seen in Kate Chopin's writing. Her use of foreshadowing and use of emotional conflicts put into few words in the short piece "The Storm" adds an element that is alluring, holding the reader's interest. In this short piece of literature, a father and son, Bobinot and Bibi, are forced to remain in a store where they were shopping before the storm, waiting for the storm to pass over them. In the meantime, the wife and mother, Calixta, whom is still at home, receives an unexpected visit from a former lover named Alicee. The two have an affair and the story starts to come together. The story shows us how we tend to want what we beli...
Throughout The turn of the Screw by Henry James, the theme of ambiguous issues is constantly leaving the reader on their own. The ambiguity and uncertainty within this text causes the readers to come up with their own theories as to what the text really means. The ghost story perspective only adds to the infuriating vagueness. The title itself is about all of the twists within this story and basically foreshadows the confusion that the text will cause.