Finding Meaning in The Turn of The Screw, by Henry James Essay

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 deprive children, and ghosts who fade in and let on of view. But there ar others present who are less obtrusive yet retributory as influential as Peter Quint and Miss Jessel. Peering into and out of Blys windows and mirrors, engaging with the text and the lingering trace of author Henry mob, a force of real and virtual readers hope to catch a glimpse of a specter or to unravel a clever Freudian slipknot that will govern them something They may be looking for that which they think pile intended as the texts truth - a transcendental center - or maybe they subconsciously appetency to see a reprimand of themselves, somehow transformed by the reading, smiling back from the gilded, glassy panes. Whatever they are undertakeing, this crew of interactive observers might be surprised to find out that there is not only one an swer to Jamess 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 pick out because, as Douglas forewarns, the story wont 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 real 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 texts esthetic pole, --its square(a) value--depends upon a conscientious reader to notice the texts gaps and ambiguities, fill in some of the holes, and to revel in the pleasure, finally, ... ...ists dream, how reassuring for everyone else that it will neer happen. Works Cited Felman, Shoshana. Henry James Madness and the Risks of Practice. 1977. The Turn of the Screw. Ed. Deborah Esch and Jonathan Warr en. 2nd ed. tonic 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. Finding Meaning in The Turn of The Screw, by Henry James try on 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 Blys wind ows 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 texts 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 Jamess 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 wont 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 t hus 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 texts esthetic pole, --its true value--depends upon a conscientious reader to notice the texts gaps and ambiguities, fill in some of the holes, and to revel in the pleasure, finally, ... ...ists 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 Warr en. 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.